


Altea Drive

by nobodys_pearl



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Buckle up, Fast Cars, Love squares, M/M, Secret Identities, Shadam, adam just wants to ask shiro on a date, adashi, allura is awesome and i love her, also i just had to make adam cool as heck in this one, broganes, i just cant help writing about my favorite boys, klance, meant to be fluffy with a plot laced with mystery, while also being a major dork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2020-04-05 20:44:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 110,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19048066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobodys_pearl/pseuds/nobodys_pearl
Summary: “We’re not cars. You can’t just fix us and make us better. We need time, we change, we’re human, and that’s more than okay.”Shiro looked at him with wide eyes, very much aware of how close they were. He looked down at Pilot’s lips, at the cut of his jaw, at the exposed part of his collarbone, suddenly struck with the urge to kiss all three.Pilot seemed to notice where Shiro’s attention had shifted, and Shiro could swear that Pilot was leaning in. Shiro found himself leaning in as well, his breath caught in his throat as his stomach swooped in anticipation.He felt Pilot’s hand slide from Shiro’s hand to his knee, and Shiro could feel his heart beating faster, Pilot’s lips now only inches away from his.He was overwhelmed by how badly he wanted this, and right before they connected his eyes fluttered closed.--------An Adashi AU where Adam and Shiro work at the local high school, but their alter egos - Pilot and Paladin - are street racers. And neither of them know that the other has this double life.Love squares, an overarching mystery, broganes, and many many failed attempts by Adam to ask Shiro on a date. Get ready for one of my favorite things - dramatic irony.





	1. Lap One

**Author's Note:**

> I hope y'all enjoy this new adashi fic! I am super super excited for this one and I have a lot in store for you guys.
> 
> I'm planning on posting chapters every other weekend, so stay tuned!

Shiro was pretty sure that he was going to kill Keith. Today was the day. Shiro’s patience had finally worn thin. After telling Keith time and time again not to go to Altea Drive, that he would probably be killed if he didn’t listen to Shiro, what did Keith do? He did it anyway. And Shiro shouldn’t have been surprised. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and parked his tan 2015 Subaru in one of the empty side streets.

He moved to get out, but then remembered to grab his matte black biking helmet, putting it on and sliding down the visor that covered his eyes. Then he put his black gloves on, hiding the hand that was a part of his metal prosthetic arm. He didn’t have plans to get arrested tonight, especially since he had a meeting with Lance tomorrow morning. He locked his car once he stepped out into the cool night air, putting his hands deep into the pockets of his favorite black bomber jacket as he walked quickly down the street and towards the sounds of cheering and revving engines.

Oh Keith had better pray that Shiro didn’t find him there.

“ _Pi-lot, Pi-lot, Pi-lot, Pi-lot_ ,” the reasonably sized crowd was cheering. Shiro joined the throng to see two cars lined up next to each other in the street. He let out a whistle when he saw the first one - a bright yellow Lamborghini with shiny silver rims and a license plate that said FLEXIN. The other car was less flashy, a dark orange Chevy El Camino with two black stripes down the middle. Shiro’s best guess was that it was the 1968 model. Old but he appreciated a classic. It didn’t stand a chance against the Lambo though. He looked on in pity as someone began to wave a flag in front of the cars, and the car engines began to roar to life. The man waved the flag in one flourishing movement, a flash of red against the starry sky, and then he threw it down onto the pavement. An instant later the two cars sped away from the crowd and down the wide, darkened road lined with empty houses and dim streetlights. Shiro rubbed his shoulder as he watched, feeling where metal and plastic met skin.

“You seem new,” a voice said, bumping Shiro’s other shoulder. The guy had a baby blue bandana covering his face. Shiro looked at him warily.

“I’m not as new as you think I am,” Shiro offered, and the guy looked at him with interest.

“So who do you think will win?” the guy asked, nodding his head towards where the cars were speeding towards the halfway point, getting ready to turn around. Shiro scoffed.

“It’s not like it’s that hard to guess. I like rooting for the underdog, but there’s no way that Chevy will win.” The stranger’s blue eyes crinkled in amusement, and he bumped Shiro’s shoulder again.

“Yeah, I could tell that you were new,” the guy said, and Shiro looked at him in confusion. Actually, the longer Shiro looked at him the more that he was beginning to wonder how old this guy was. He looked like he could be in high school. Maybe he knew where Keith -? Then the crowd grew louder and Shiro whipped his head to see an orange blur speeding towards the finish line in front of them, way in front of the Lamborghini.

“No way,” Shiro breathed, watching with wide eyes as the Chevy crossed the thick line made in chalk, pulling to the left and creating a wide arc as it screeched to a stop. “How did that car -?” Shiro began to ask, turning towards the stranger, but he was gone. Then the Lamborghini pulled in, an angry man getting out of the car and slamming the door shut.

“You cheated!” the man accused, pointing a finger at the figure who was stepping out of the Chevy. The figure was pretty tall, with a slightly muscular build hidden under an unzipped, forest green flight jacket and a black t-shirt. He was wearing an aviator hat, darkened pilot goggles covering his eyes and a grin on his face.

“ _Pi-lot, Pi-lot, Pi-lot -_ ” the crowd began to cheer once more. Three figures ran up to join this mystery man, one of them being the person that Shiro was talking to earlier. The other two also had bandanas covering their faces. The one with a yellow bandana was very tall and had a husky build, while the one with the green bandana was quite the opposite, small with copper hair sticking up everywhere.

“Pay up and go home,” the mystery man said, stretching his arms. “Or you can lose to me again and owe me double. It doesn’t really matter to me.” He grinned. The man who owned the Lambo made a noise of frustration, his face getting red. Then he dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash, slamming it on top of the Chevy’s hood and getting into his car. He shouted something else and sped off down the road, his tires picking up dust.

“¡Oye!” the stranger with the blue bandana from before yelled, running a gentle hand across the hood of the Chevy and shooting the Lambo an angry look as it sped away. “Why did he take it out on the car?” The larger guy bent down to inspect the tires, while the smaller one reached over to grab the wad of cash, handing it over to the man in the goggles.

“Nice driving, Pilot,” the smaller one said with a wink, and the man grinned, taking the cash and dividing it into three, handing it over to his three compatriots.

“Are you sure, Ad - uh, Pilot?” the larger guy asked, standing up and glancing warily at the crowd as he looked at the cash in his hands. This kid looked like he could be in high school too. The three of them did. Shiro narrowed his eyes as he watched. The guy in the goggles, Pilot, Shiro guessed, smiled and put a hand on the larger kid’s shoulders.

“I’m positive, Yellow. You know why I’m doing this.” Then Pilot turned to face the crowd. “We’ll be waiting to see who challenges us next time!” he declared, and the crowd lost it. The kid with the Blue bandana raised his arms and joined in on the cheering. The one in the green bandana rolled their eyes, opening the car door and climbing into the backseat. It looked like the racing was done for tonight. But then where was -? Shiro locked eyes on a lanky teen, pieces of messy black hair peeking out from his black hood. Even with the red bandana covering his face Shiro wasn’t fooled. He weaved through the dispersing crowd, apologizing as he pushed past an assortment of strangers, all with their faces covered in one way or another.

“I considered calling the police on you,” Shiro said, putting a firm hand on the kid’s shoulder. “Maybe that would get through to you.” The kid turned around and looked at Shiro with wide eyes, but then Shiro watched as his captive realized who it was and chose to roll his eyes instead, crossing his arms. Annoyance flared in Shiro’s chest.

“I was _fine_ , Shiro.”

“Keith,” Shiro said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

“It’s Blade here,” Keith corrected him, lifting his chin, and Shiro scoffed, dropping his hand from Keith’s shoulder.

“Are you kidding me right now?” Shiro asked. “I told you that you can’t come here. It’s _dangerous_ -”

“I can defend myself,” Keith argued, stubborn as ever.

“I swear to god Keith if you brought your mother’s knife here with you -”

“What are you so afraid of?” Keith asked, raising his arms in protest. “Do you see how many people are here?” He gestured to the crowd that was thinning out, people getting into their cars. “This is a part of the culture -”

“No,” Shiro said firmly. “Not for high schoolers it isn’t. Not for you.”

“But my parents -”

“I shouldn’t have told you that -”

“I _needed_ to know!” Keith said firmly, and Shiro looked at Keith’s eyes, his dark violet irises wide and burning. Shiro sighed.

“I know you did,” he conceded, and Keith crossed his arms once more, looking away. “But Keith, you’re too young to be doing this. You need to focus on school. That’s what your parents would want for you -”

“You don’t know what my parents would’ve wanted,” Keith said, clenching his jaw. Shiro rubbed his shoulder, looking away.

“I know that you’re working on a car,” Shiro said quietly, and he felt Keith’s eyes on him. There was silence for a moment.

“Shiro, _please_ don’t -”

“I’m not going to do anything to it,” Shiro said, meeting Keith’s gaze. “But I need you to promise me that you won’t come back here. You _can’t_ come back here.” Silence again. Keith shook his head.

“I don’t understand why you hate this place so much,” Keith said, tightening his arms across his chest. Shiro felt a stab of guilt, but he pushed it down.

“I just need you to trust me. You trust me, right?” Shiro asked. Keith clenched his jaw again.

“Of course I do,” he finally answered. Shiro gave him a tired smile, putting his hand on Keith’s shoulder once more and giving it a squeeze.

“Alright. Let’s go home,” Shiro said. “It’s a school night and I’m not letting you skip.” Keith groaned and Shiro laughed, turning Keith around and leading him towards the side street where he’d parked his car.

“Don’t forget your seatbelt,” Shiro said once they were in the car, waiting until Keith buckled in before he slowly pulled out and headed for their apartment.

“Thanks for caring, I guess,” Keith grumbled a few side streets later, breaking the silence that had settled over them. He was slumped in his seat as he looked out the window. “Sometimes I wish you’d care less, though.” Shiro laughed.

“Sorry Keith, but I’m always going to be looking out for you.” Shiro could see Keith roll his eyes from the corner of his vision and Shiro smiled, reaching over to ruffle Keith’s hair and being met with flailing arms and a noise of protest.

“Can you at least drive faster? You drive like an old man,” Keith complained.

“I drive like an upstanding citizen,” Shiro argued. “And if you keep rolling your eyes like that they’ll roll right out of your head.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

 

“How’s your junior year been going Lance?” Shiro asked, clasping his hands in front of him on his desk and looking at Lance from where he was sitting opposite him. Lance shrugged his shoulders, playing with the hem of his white uniform shirt and pulling a thread loose.

“It’s going alright. Boring, mostly,” Lance said, covering his yawn with his forearm. He looked at Shiro with bleary eyes.

“Have you been sleeping enough?” Shiro asked, looking him up and down. Lance shrugged his shoulders again. Shiro sighed and leaned forward in his chair.

“Lance -” Shiro began, and Lance hastily sat up, running a hand through his hair and giving Shiro a smile.

“Todo está bien, Mr. Shirogane. I’m just trying to make sure that my grades are good enough,” Lance explained, stretching his arms. “Can’t slip up now when I’m this close to the scholarship I need.” Shiro looked down at his desk before looking back at Lance. Lance seemed to interpret his gaze, and grabbed the arms of his chair, looking at Shiro with wides eyes. “No way!” Lance yelled, and Shiro stood up and went to close the door to his small office, giving his secretary Dora a sheepish smile as she looked at him from where she was sitting outside at her desk. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“Lance -”

“I _need_ this money,” Lance said, eyes wild. “You know that I won’t be able to afford Altea Tech without it!” Shiro sighed and sat back down.

“I know, Lance. It’s just that we have to review all of your options just in case -” Shiro stopped, clasping his hands on his desk once more and meeting Lance’s gaze. “Have you given any thought to Galra U?” Lance scoffed, crossing his arms.

“They don’t have the program I want. They don’t have _any_ of the classes that I want!” Lance complained. “How am I supposed to design airplanes if I go to Galra U?”

“Lance -” Shiro began, and Lance let out a bitter laugh.

“It seems like the only real _guidance_ you can give me is in the exact opposite direction of where I want to be,” Lance said, standing up. Shiro watched him quickly swipe his palm across his cheek, turning away from him. “I need to get to class. I already had to miss most of physics to go to this stupid meeting.”

“Lance, we still have options. I never said that -” Shiro began, but Lance was already out the door and out of the guidance department. Shiro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. A few moments later there was a knock at the door. Shiro looked up to see his secretary, a stack of files in her hands. “Hello, Dora,” Shiro said, attempting a polite smile. She nodded her head, stepping into the room and placing the papers on his desk.

“Dr. Wadley requested to see copies of the application for the engineering scholarship,” Dora explained. “He was hoping that you could explain the requirements to him.” Shiro puffed out his cheeks, letting out a breath before grabbing the papers and standing up. “Yeah, I can bring them to him. My next appointment isn’t for another half hour right?” Dora nodded her head.

“Hunk Garret at 10:30,” she said. Shiro nodded his head. He didn’t exactly have great news for Hunk either, but at least there was less of a chance at being yelled at. Shiro tucked the papers under his arm and walked over to the coffee machine, grabbing two cups and filling them up.

“I’ll be back before then. Thank you, Dora.” Dora nodded her head and moved to sit down behind her desk once more, typing something in on her computer. Shiro opened the door into the hallway and walked past the students who were rushing to class, passing three doors before coming to a stop. He could hear two voices coming from inside. He managed to hold the two coffees in one arm and knocked. The voices stopped.

“Come in!” Adam’s voice called. Shiro opened the door and stepped inside, seeing Katie standing next to Adam’s desk, showing him something on her laptop. She closed her laptop and shoved it in her bag.

“Hi Katie,” Shiro said, and she gave him an uncomfortable smile as she slung her backpack over her shoulder. Adam cleared his throat and looked at Shiro.

“She actually prefers Pidge,” Adam explained, giving him a polite smile. Shiro blinked.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know -” Shiro began, and Pidge’s smile became more genuine.

“No problem, chief, you aren’t my guidance counselor after all,” Pidge said. “See you later, Adam.”

“It’s Dr. Wadley in the classroom, Pidge.” Pidge gave a dismissive wave of her hand and walked out of the classroom. Shiro watched the door close behind her and walked over to Adam’s desk, setting down one of the cups of coffee.

“Thought you’d want one,” Shiro explained, and Adam looked at it before smiling up at Shiro. He reached over to hold it.

“I really did. Thank you Shiro,” Adam said, lifting the cup to his lips and taking a sip. Shiro noticed that Adam was wearing his usual button-up shirt and sweater vest combo. Today the sweater vest was navy and was covered in small 𝜋 symbols. It was completely ridiculous but _so_ Adam that Shiro had to bite back his grin.

“Happy to help.”

“I know,” Adam said, a small smile on his lips as he set the cup back down. Then he saw the papers under Shiro arms. “I’m guessing those are for me?” he asked. Shiro nodded his head, setting them down on the table and a safe distance away from the coffee. Adam slid them towards him and began to flip through the pages, leaning back in his chair. Then he looked up at Shiro. “You can take a seat,” he said, gesturing to the extra office chair next to him. Shiro moved behind the desk and sat next to him. He waited until Adam set the stack of papers back down.

“I have some really talented kids in my class,” Adam began. “They have a lot of potential, and this school is quickly becoming too easy for them.”

“I have an idea of who you’re talking about,” Shiro said, weaving his fingers together, seeing the metal meet skin, fake meet real.

“Lance stopped by a few minutes ago,” Adam said, and Shiro continued to look down at his hands. “Hey,” Adam said, and Shiro looked up. Adam gave him a soft smile, fixing his glasses. “Don’t take it personally. Lance can be impulsive sometimes. He feels things very deeply. He has high goals for himself.” Adam sighed. “He just gets frustrated when things are out of his control.” Shiro felt his lips tug up in a smile.

“Sounds like another student who goes here.” Adam’s eyes flashed in amusement.

“How’s Keith doing, by the way?” Adam asked. Shiro sighed.

“He’s doing really well in his classes. It’s just that he’s always looking for trouble. I think it’s in his DNA,” Shiro said, shaking his head. Adam laughed.

“You don’t think that he picked it up from a daredevil like yourself?” Adam asked, and Shiro looked at him in surprise. “That was a joke,” Adam offered, taking another sip of his coffee. Shiro laughed awkwardly, reaching out to hold his own coffee.

“You’re quite the comedian,” Shiro said dryly. “I’m surprised you decided to become a physics teacher instead.” Adam shrugged his shoulders.

“People can always suprise you, that’s what I’ve learned.” Then Adam looked back at the papers, furrowing his brow. “The three of them really need these scholarships, Shiro.”

“I’m doing the best I can, but they need to play this _safe_ -”

“Why?” Adam asked, and Shiro met his gaze, looking at him in confusion.

“Because, because I don’t want them to get their hopes up only for them to get hurt,” Shiro explained.

“They’re tougher than you think. Keith is, too. And kids can tell when you’re underestimating them. They hate that kind of stuff. That’s probably why Lance yelled at you.” Adam paused. “I could hear it from here,” he confessed, looking sheepish. Shiro blushed in embarrassment. Then he clenched his fists.

“They’ll thank me later,” Shiro said firmly. Then he moved to stand. “Did you have anything else that you wanted to talk about?” he asked, nodding at the papers. Adam bit his lip, looking like he wanted to say something, but then he shook his head.

“I’ll let you know if something comes to mind,” Adam said, and Shiro nodded his head. He picked up his cup of coffee and walked towards the door. “Shiro,” Adam called, and Shiro turned around to look at him. Adam smiled, lifting up his cup. His gaze was warm. “Thanks for stopping by. It’s always nice to talk to you.” Shiro smiled.

“You too, Adam.” He opened the door but then noticed a piece of paper on the floor. He bent down to pick it up. On one side was information about Adam’s astronomy club, apparently they had a meeting last night, but it was what was written on the other side that caught Shiro’s interest.

“Everything okay, Shiro?” Adam asked, moving to stand. Shiro straightened up, sliding the piece of paper in his pocket.

“Keith had this class last period, right? The one that got out about ten minutes ago?” Adam nodded his head slowly, looking at Shiro in confusion.

“AP Physics, that’s the one,” Adam replied. Shiro nodded his head once.

“See you later, Adam,” Shiro said, opening the door.

“Okay -?” Adam began, but Shiro was already heading down the hallway and back towards his office.

_Altea Drive_

_10pm_

_Don’t forget the tools_

Shiro was really going to kill Keith.

 

 

Shiro parked his Subaru in the same side street and double checked that it was locked. Then he placed his old biking helmet over his head, flipping down the visor so that only his mouth was visible. As he headed for Altea Drive he tried to think about the best way to punish Keith. Should he just ground him? Would that even work, given all of the foster care homes he’d run away from in the past? He couldn’t even take Keith’s driving privileges away, since Shiro insisted on driving him to and from school. Except when Shiro had waited for Keith in the parking lot after school today, ready to confront him about that piece of paper, Keith was nowhere to be found. He hadn’t shown up at the apartment either, which wasn’t completely unusual for him, but given what Shiro had found in Adam’s classroom it tested his patience.

Should I take away the car? Shiro considered, thinking about the cherry red Nissan 730z that he’d found in one of his storage units. Did Keith really think that Shiro wouldn’t stop by his storage unit every once in a while to make sure that it wasn’t broken into? He had also checked the _other_ storage unit, the one Keith wasn’t supposed to know about, to make sure that Keith wasn’t hiding anything in there as well, but thankfully it was untouched.

And it had to stay untouched.

Shiro shook the thoughts away. He was getting off track. He knew that he wasn’t going to do anything to the car. He didn’t have the heart, and he promised Keith that he wouldn’t touch it. At that point he saw the street sign for Altea Drive, and could see a pair of headlights in the distance. He could hear voices, but not nearly as many as there were last night. It looked like he would just have to think of a punishment later. He clenched his fists and kept walking forward.

“Hey, can you hand me the strut spring compressor?” a voice asked. Shiro could see shadows standing around a car. His eyes strained in the darkness and he recognized the dark orange Chevy from last night.

“You need the housing socket too,” another voice said, the figure leaning against the car. Shiro began to hear the sound of metal scratching metal as one of the figures began to rifle through a box. He handed things down to the figure under the car.

“Hey, careful. The last thing we need is a bolt falling behind the engine,” a third voice said, hunched over the open hood of the car.

“Hey guys,” a fourth voice said, getting out of the car and standing in front of it with his arms crossed, positioning himself between Shiro and the other three figures. “We have company.” The other three figures lifted up their heads and quickly moved to stand. Shiro recognized them as the three kids with the bandanas. The fourth figure stepped into the light of the streetlamp.

“You’re Pilot,” Shiro said, more like a statement than a question. He crossed his arms, and Pilot smiled, his goggles reflecting the light above him. His flight jacket was tied around his waist, and he was wearing a dark gray t-shirt.

“Looks like we have a tough guy. Nice helmet,” Pilot said. Shiro chose not to respond, and Pilot tilted his head in interest. “They’re aren’t any races tonight, and since I’m the current champion Altea Drive is my territory on off nights. Those are the rules.”

“I know the rules,” Shiro said, lifting his chin. “But I’m looking for someone.” Pilot looked back at his crew and beckoned them over. They all leaned in and Pilot seemed to ask them something. Shiro swore he heard the word ‘parents’. They all shook their heads and Pilot straightened up once again, facing Shiro.

“I don’t think that person is here,” Pilot said. “Do they have a name?”

“His name is -” Shiro began, but then he stopped. “He goes by Blade here, apparently,” Shiro said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. The corner of Pilot’s mouth lifted up in a smirk. The kid with the blue bandana _did_ roll his eyes, leaning his hip against the car.

“He was the guy who was giving me a hard time before the race,” the kid said to Pilot. “He had a red bandana on, totally stealing our look. He even brought a knife!”

“That’s him,” Shiro said, and Pilot turned to look back at him.

“Yeah, he’s not here,” Pilot said. Shiro looked at him suspiciously. Then he looked at the three kids.

“You three look like you’re in high school,” Shiro began. The kid in the yellow bandana’s eyes widened and he looked at Pilot.

“Well I’m thirty-five,” the kid in the green bandana said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. The kid with the blue bandana laughed and quickly put his hands over his mouth, the kid with the green bandana giving him a sharp nudge to the stomach. Blue bandana kid moved to swat green bandana kid.

“Blue, Green,” Pilot warned, and they broke apart. Pilot shifted his attention to Shiro once more. It was hard to tell since Pilot was wearing the aviator goggles, but Shiro thought that he was looking at him in curiosity, maybe even amusement.

“Have I seen you here before?” Pilot asked.

“I doubt it,” Shiro said, but Pilot’s gaze was still on him, seeming to pick him apart.

“I swear that I’ve seen that helmet before. Feels like a forever ago -” Pilot began. That was Shiro’s cue to leave.

“If Ke- _Blade_ isn’t here I’m going to leave,” Shiro said, beginning to turn back the way he came.

“Key blade? _Kingdom Hearts_ reference?” Yellow whispered to Blue, and Blue shrugged his shoulders.

“If it is I appreciate it,” Green said, and Yellow held out his hand for Green to high-five. Then Blue stepped forward.

“Just tell Blade to stay in his lane.” Blue paused. “Physically _and_ metaphorically.” Green snickered and Blue reached over to swat her arm.

“I can always call the police, you know,” Shiro said, moving to face them again. “Street racing isn’t officially legal, and the police can’t ignore a direct complaint.” The three kids looked at Pilot with worried expressions, but their leader didn’t seem bothered. Pilot took a few steps forward, so that he was only a couple feet away from Shiro. Shiro stood his ground. Pilot looked him up and down, and then he smiled.

“You won’t.” Shiro’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Are you sure you want to risk that? Are you that positive?” Shiro asked. Pilot took another step forward. Shiro could see his brown hair peeking out from his aviator hat. He could see the muscles in his arms flex as he crossed them over his chest.

“You belong here. I can see it. And I can’t wait to figure out what’s keeping you from accepting that,” Pilot finally said. Shiro opened his mouth and quickly closed it, straightening his stance. He took a step forward, so that they were only inches away from each other.

“There’s nothing to figure out. Nothing for _you_ to figure out, anyway. I think that win from last night got to your head,” Shiro said. Pilot grinned.

“So you watched me race last night? What did you think?” Pilot asked, his smile becoming more genuine. Shiro was caught off guard as Pilot rubbed the back of his neck. “I think we need to fix the suspension. That’s what we’re working on tonight, but I think the Atlas is running smoother than ever.”

“The Atlas?” Shiro asked dumbly, blinking. Pilot’s smile widened.

“Yeah, that’s her name,” Pilot said, gesturing to his car. Blue gave it a fond pat. Then Pilot turned back to face Shiro, lowering his voice. “I’m sorry your kid’s not here,” he began. “And don’t worry, these three are in good hands. They’re good kids, kids that shouldn’t get arrested.” Shiro sighed.

“I’m not calling the cops.” Pilot nodded his head, not seeming surprised. Then he took another step forward. Shiro felt his cheeks heat up as Pilot leaned into him.

“Feel free to stop by anytime, then. I have a good feeling about you,” he said. Then he took a step back. “I’m winking, by the way. You can’t see it since I have my goggles on, but I am.” Shiro looked at him in confusion and then let out a surprised laugh. Pilot grinned and Shiro shook his head, biting back his smile.

“I’m leaving now. But if Blade really was here we’re going to have a problem,” Shiro warned. He saw the amusement in Pilot’s smile.

“Wouldn’t be our first problem,” Pilot mused, and Blue sighed, draping himself over the car.

“Tenemos _muchos_ problemas,” Blue said woefully, and Yellow patted his back.

Shiro looked at them all once more, not knowing what to make of them, and then he headed back to the side street where his car was parked. His took off his helmet and ran a hand through his white hair. That Pilot was...something else. Shiro felt his heart beat a little faster when he remembered what Pilot said. He thought he recognized Shiro. That wasn’t good. He looked down at his helmet. Maybe he needed to get a new one. He shook his head and pulled out of the street, heading home and hoping that Keith would be back at the apartment.

 

 

Shiro unlocked the door and stepped inside, turning on the lights. He set his keys down on the counter.

“Keith?” Shiro asked, walking through the main room and past the kitchen. He felt something brush against his leg and looked down. “Hello, Kosmo,” he said, leaning down to scratch behind the dog’s ear. Kosmo looked back up at Shiro and panted, looking like he had a large smile on his face. Shiro smiled and continued on. “Keith!” Shiro called again, and he heard something fall followed by a colorful swear. “Keith?” Shiro walked past his bedroom door.

“I’m here!” Keith voice called. Shiro followed the sound.

“Where were you?” Shiro asked.

“I went to the cemetery. It’s Monday,” Keith explained, and Shiro put a hand on his forehead. Of course. Then he stopped in front of his office, the door slightly ajar.

“What are you doing in my office?” Shiro asked, slowly opening the door. He could hear papers ruffling.

“My physics partner wants to meet after school this week and I wanted to look over my old notes,” Keith explained. You put my notebook in here, right?” Keith asked. Shiro stood in the doorway, light flooding in. He looked over at the top drawer and saw that it was still closed. He resisted letting out a sigh of relief and chose to lean casually against the doorframe instead.

“It should still be in your room, in that box we set aside,” Shiro said. Keith picked up something small, but it was hard to tell what it was in the dim lighting.

“No, I’m pretty sure I left it in here. I didn’t want to lose it,” Keith said stubbornly. He put the small object in the top drawer and Shiro’s eyes widened when he realized that it was a key.

“Keith, _wait_ -” Keith opened the drawer and began to rifle inside it. Then his hands froze, his eyes scanning over the top page. Shiro could feel his heart in his throat. _Idiot_. Why didn’t he hide the key in his room? Keith slowly lifted his eyes to meet Shiro’s. He was holding a picture in his hands, and he raised it up for Shiro to see. Shiro averted his gaze. He knew what was in that photo. A car wreck. A horrible one. And a bold headline.

_‘ **TOP STREET RACER DISAPPEARS ALONG WITH CAR** ’ _

Keith looked back at the drawer and picked up a set of keys, the sound of metal jangling filling the tense silence. They were the keys to a Mustang. Keith looked back up at Shiro, his eyes wide with shock.

“You’re - you were the Paladin?” Keith asked, his voice quiet. Shiro felt something stutter in his chest and took a deep breath, crossing his arms and feeling the metal of his prosthetic scrape against his skin. He looked at the keys for a long moment, and then walked up to Keith, taking them from him and placing them and the picture back in the drawer, closing it and locking it. Keith was still looking at him, waiting for answers. Shiro wasn’t sure if he was ready to give them. He clenched his jaw and met Keith’s gaze.

“Yes,” he finally said, and Keith’s eyes widened even more.

“But you - you can’t be -” Keith said, and Shiro gave him a tired smile.

“Can we talk about this tomorrow? It’s late -” Shiro began, moving to the door, but Keith moved to block his way.

“No chance, Shiro,” Keith said stubbornly. “This is probably the coolest thing about you and you’ve been _hiding_ it from me!” Shiro scoffed.

“I wouldn’t call it hiding, it’s more like, _waiting_ to tell you -” Keith gave him an unamused look.

“Oh yeah? And when were you going to tell me?”

“Never,” Shiro confessed, and Keith let out a noise of protest.

“Shiro, I wouldn’t have told anybody -” Keith began.

“That’s not why I didn’t tell you,” Shiro interrupted. He looked away. “It’s not one of my greatest memories. It’s not something I’m proud of.”

“But you were the Paladin! The best street racer Altea Drive has seen since, since the Emperor!” Keith protested, waving his arms.

“I almost died, Keith,” Shiro said, and Keith dropped his arms, whatever he was about to say dying in his throat. “I didn’t just, _stop_ wanting to be the Paladin and gave it up. I lost my _arm_ , I got this scar,” Shiro said, pointing to his face. “The doctor told me that my heart stopped for a few minutes. It was a miracle that the doctors didn’t report me to the police. I could’ve gone to jail.” Shiro shook his head. “I was stupid and impulsive and I regret it.”

“All of it?” Keith asked. Shiro knew what Keith was asking.

“I can’t speak for your parents, Keith. But I know that if they were given the choice they’d be here with you. You were more important to them than street racing. Street racing is - it ends in tragedy.” Keith shook his head.

“There’s more to it than that, there has to be. You used to love it. My parents - my parents loved it too.” Shiro gave him a sad smile, placing his hands on the desk and leaning over it.

“Maybe I did. But it’s all behind me now.” Shiro paused, letting the silence settle over them.  Keith was strong, and stubborn, and curious. It was a dangerous combination, Shiro knew that from experience. He just didn’t want Keith to get hurt like he did, like his parents did. He refused to let that happen. “This isn’t going to stop you from going to Altea Drive, is it?” he finally asked. Keith was still, but then he shook his head.

“There are things that I need to know,” Keith insisted. Shiro sighed.

“I’m done trying to stop you,” Shiro said, and he felt Keith’s eyes on him. He straightened up and met Keith’s gaze. “You can go, but only if I’m there with you.” Keith’s eyes widened.

“Seriously?” Shiro nodded his head.

“Then at least I can make sure that you’re okay. You’re going to give me an ulcer Keith, with all of this sneaking around.” The corner of Keith’s lips tugged up into a smirk.

“It’s a deal,” Keith said, holding out his hand. Shiro scoffed and took it. Keith pulled him in for a hug. “Thank you,” Keith whispered, and Shiro smiled, giving him a pat on the back.

“You really can’t tell people that I’m the Paladin.”

“I know. People wouldn’t believe me anyway,” Keith said, pulling away.

“And why’s that?” Shiro asked, crossing his arms.

“You’re not cool enough,” Keith said, biting back a grin and walking out of the office. Shiro let out a noise of protest.

“I’ll have you know that many people think that I am _very_ cool -” Shiro began, but Keith had already grabbed his backpack and closed the door to his room. Shiro leaned against the door, shaking his head as a smile spread across his face. “Goodnight, Keith.”

“Night _Paladin_ ,” Keith said. Shiro scoffed and pushed off of the door. As he made his way to his own room his smile fell. He rubbed his shoulder, trying to push away the memories that were better left forgotten.

He still remembered how angry he’d been that night, how out of control. He wasn’t himself, and he never wanted to be that person again.

He _wouldn’t_ be.


	2. Lap Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the lovely people who commented <3

Shiro tapped his fingers against the wheel, waiting at the red light.

“So where’s your real car?” Keith asked. Shiro glanced at him from where Keith was sitting in the passenger seat.

“This _is_ my real car,” Shiro said, and Keith shot him an unconvinced look.

“And you say _I’m_ difficult,” Keith mumbled, and Shiro laughed, seeing the light turn green and stepping on the gas. “I’m talking about your real car, you know, your _Paladin_ car.”

“You saw the picture. It was totaled,” Shiro said. Keith rolled his eyes.

“There’s no way that you didn’t fix that car up. The Black Lion was the Paladin’s pride and joy.” Shiro turned on his blinker and made a left-hand turn into the school parking lot.

“Okay, maybe I still have it,” Shiro confessed, and Keith straightened up in his seat.

“Can I see it?” Keith asked. Shiro parked the car in his usual spot, thinking it over.

“Will you take it easy on your math teacher until the end of the week?” Shiro asked. Keith’s brow furrowed.

“Iverson always overreacts,” Keith protested, but then he sighed. “Okay, fine.”

“Then I’ll introduce you to the Black Lion this weekend.” Keith’s eyes lit up in excitement. He reached over to grab his bag from the backseat.

“Thanks Shiro,” Keith said, getting out of the car. Shiro got out of the car as well, locking it. He made sure that he parked within the lines, and then the two of them made their way into the school.

“Hey Keith!” a voice called, and Shiro turned his head to see Lance running up to Keith, bag bouncing on his back and a grin on his face as he caught up to them. “You’re still free to start planning the project after school, right?” Keith nodded his head, adjusting his back pack strap on his shoulder.

“Yeah, I was able to find my old notebook too, and that gave me some ideas,” Keith said, shooting Shiro a glance. Shiro fought the urge to stick his tongue out at him. Then Lance seemed to realize that Shiro was there.

“Oh, hey Mr. Shirogane,” Lance said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Shiro gave him a smile.

“Good morning, Lance.”

“Um, I wanted to tell you,” Lance began, finding it hard to meet Shiro’s eyes. Finally he let out a groan and looked at Shiro. “I’m sorry for overreacting a few days ago. I didn’t mean to take it out on you I’m just stressed about getting into college and Altea Tech is my _dream_ school -” Shiro held up a hand and Lance stopped.

“No need to apologize, Lance. I understood. We’re going to figure something out, okay?” Lance nodded his head but he didn’t look convinced.

“I want to go to Altea Tech too,” Keith offered, and Lance looked at him, his expression brightening. He threw an arm around Keith’s shoulders as they walked down the hall.

“No kidding? Then I guess we’ll have to be best friends!” Lance declared, and Shiro saw the beginnings of a smile that Keith was trying to hide behind the longer strands of his hair. He caught Shiro looking at him and his smile quickly shifted into something more neutral.

“I’m heading this way,” Shiro said, pointing down the hall. “Have a good day, you two. I’ll see you after school, Keith.” Keith nodded his head and they split up, Lance telling Keith all about the engineering program at Altea Tech that Lance wanted to get in to. Keith started telling him about car mechanics and Lance’s eyes lit up. Shiro smiled as he watched them go. He knew that Keith still wasn’t all that used to the idea of being ‘settled’, so Shiro was happy that he was starting to make friends. He reached his office, saying good morning to Dora as he passed his desk and settled into his chair. He checked his calender to see what meetings he had today. Hunk had to postpone their meeting from a few days ago, so he was scheduled to come by in ten minutes. Shiro opened his laptop and began to scroll through the article on the aerospace engineering program at Altea Tech. Then he heard a knock at the door.

“Morning, Shiro,” Adam said, leaning against the doorframe and holding two cups of coffee. Today he was wearing a maroon sweater vest with the θ symbol stitched into it with tan thread. “Thought I’d return the favor before classes start.” Shiro smiled and gestured for Adam to sit down. Adam sat down in the seat across from him and slid one of the cups across the table towards Shiro.

“Thanks,” Shiro said. He looked back at his computer screen, where there was a picture of the space flight project that they were working on at Altea Tech. Wires were sticking out from large panels, and a group of kids with plastic goggles on were smiling widely at the camera. Adam followed Shiro’s gaze to see what he was looking at.

“Top aerospace engineering program in the country,” Adam said, taking a sip of his coffee. “They do some impressive things there.”

“Where did you go to college, Adam?” Shiro asked, eyes still scanning the page on his computer. Then he noticed Adam looking down at his cup. “I’m sorry,” Shiro blurted out, quickly pulling his eyes away from the computer to look at him. “That’s a personal question you don’t have to -”

“Garrison College,” Adam explained. Shiro’s eyes widened.

“Really? I went there for two years,” Shiro said. Adam looked at him in surprise, and Shiro rubbed the back of his neck. “I was doing pretty well there, but then things - changed. I had to spend the last two years at Galra U.” Shiro paused, thinking about things that were better left forgotten. Then he looked at Adam and smiled. “It worked out, though.” Adam furrowed his brow, looking down at his coffee.

“My dream was to go to Altea Tech. They even accepted me.”

“Why didn’t you go there?” Shiro asked. He saw the bitter grin on Adam’s face as he met Shiro’s gaze.

“Things changed,” Adam answered. Then he looked back down at his cup, shrugging his shoulders. “The Garrison wasn’t bad though. It ended up alright in the end.” Shiro nodded his head.

“Someone as impressive as you could make it anywhere,” Shiro said honestly, and Adam’s eyes widened and he continued to stare at his drink, a smile tugging at his lips.

“I think you’re giving me more credit than I deserve,” Adam said, his cheeks a shade redder than they were before. Shiro sat up in his chair.

“No, I’m really not. I read that article the school posted about you when they hired you. A Phd in physics _and_ engineering? You used to work for NASA? And you’re only 26?” Shiro said, shaking his head. “I wondered why you decided to come to our school. This place seems like it would be too small for you.” Adam looked up, a smirk on his lips.

“I guess I am pretty impressive, now that I think about it,” Adam mused, tapping his chin, and Shiro laughed. “And I came to work here because I want this world to continue to get better, to develop, and what’s a better way to do that than to teach?” Shiro lifted his cup towards Adam and took a sip. “And what about you Mr. Shirogane?” Adam asked, a teasing edge to his voice. “I bet you have some pretty stellar merits of your own.” Shiro shook his head.

“I’m just a guidance counselor,” Shiro explained.

“Hey, there’s no ‘just’ in that,” Adam argued. “You’re _guiding_ people.” Shiro laughed.

“Guiding them to _what_ is the question of the day,” Shiro said with a sigh. Then he realized something. “I’ve actually been meaning to ask you for a favor.”

“Oh yeah?” Adam asked. Shiro noticed something shift in Adam’s expression as he adjusted his glasses, a slightly flustered look on his face.

“I was wondering if it would be okay if Keith joined your club,” Shiro said, and Adam looked at him in confusion.

“My club?”

“The astronomy club? You still have meetings, right? Isn’t there one tonight?” Shiro asked. Adam continued to look at him in confusion, and then his eyes widened in recognition.

“Oh, right, right _that_ club, yeah, that club that I run,” Adam said, nodding his head quickly and shifting in his seat. “Keith is interested in, um, astronomy?” Shiro rubbed the back of his neck.

“Yeah, his parents used to take him outside on starry nights and point out the constellations to him,” Shiro explained. He remembered when Keith told him that. It was the anniversary of the accident, less than two years after they met and right before Shiro had told him that the fostering papers were approved. It was the first time Keith had really opened up to Shiro, and it gave him hope. “But really, I just think that it would be a good way for Keith to make friends. Lance is in that club right?” Adam nodded his head.

“And Hunk and Pidge too,” Adam said. “It’s a pretty small club. Most students here are too busy and don’t want to give up their nights -”

“I would rather have Keith be going to this club than be doing - some _other_ things that he’s been doing,” Shiro confessed. Adam quirked a brow at that.

“Is Keith doing drugs?”

“What? No!” Shiro said. Then he saw the teasing edge in Adam’s smile and rolled his eyes. “He’s been sneaking off to Altea Drive recently.”

“ _Oh,_ ” Adam said, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip of his coffee.

“Yeah, I keep telling him that it’s dangerous but he never listens.”

“Teenagers rarely do,” Adam agreed with a small smile. “Does he have a car?” Shiro sighed.

“He’s working on one, but he hasn’t raced yet.”

“So he plans on racing?”

“It’s not like I can stop him,” Shiro said with a dry smile. Adam seemed to consider that.

“He’s a smart kid. He knows how to stay out of trouble.” Shiro laughed.

“That’s the problem. He really doesn’t. I think it just follows him.”

“Then maybe a little trouble is exactly what he needs,” Adam offered. Shiro gave him an unconvinced look. Then there was a tentative knock at the door. Shiro looked up to see Hunk standing in the doorway, adjusting the stack of books in his arms.

“Dr. Wadley!” Hunk said, a wide grin on his face. “Good morning!” Adam moved to stand, helping Hunk with his books and setting them down on Shiro’s desk. Then Adam put his hands on his hips.

“Morning Hunk. How’re you doing?”

“Iverson threatened to give us a pop quiz this week and people are saying that he’s doing it today and I didn’t have time to study so I’m mildly freaking out and I might need to go to the bathroom to throw up but -”

“Hey,” Adam said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got this. You _know_ you do. Remember what I always tell you.” Hunk took a deep breath, exhaling.

“Buckle up, tighten your grip, and step on the gas,” Hunk recited, and Adam smiled.

“See you in class.” Adam moved towards the door and then stopped, turning around and looking at Shiro. “Have Keith swing by tonight around 9, okay?” He noticed Hunk’s confusion and looked at him. “Keith is joining the astronomy club.” Hunk’s eyes widened, and he glanced at Shiro.

“The astronomy club? But -”

“Just tell Pidge not to forget to bring her brother’s telescope, okay?” Adam asked, and Hunk nodded his head, still looking confused as he faced forwards in his seat. Adam tapped the doorframe once and looked at Shiro again. “Sound good?” Shiro smiled and nodded his head.

“Sounds great. Thank you, Adam.”

“Don’t forget the snacks, Hunk!” Adam called, leaving the office and entering the hall. Hunk shook his head and then realized that Shiro was looking at him. He straightened up in his seat.

“I’m, uh, glad that Keith is joining the club,” Hunk said. “Lance told me that they’re partners for that physics project, and they seem to get along.” Shiro’s eyes brightened.

“That’s really good to hear, Hunk. Now let’s talk about this Altea Tech program.” He watched as Hunk nervously tapped his fingers against his thigh, swallowing and giving Shiro his best attempt at a smile. Lance must’ve told him how his meeting went. Shiro really wanted this for Hunk, for all of them. And he was going to do his best to help them.

He just wondered if his best would be good enough.

 

 

Shiro had to admit, this was the perfect night for stargazing. He pulled into the school parking lot and parked, turning to look at Keith. Keith was looking out of the window, his oversized red sweatshirt practically swallowing him.

“Are you excited?” Shiro asked, and Keith turned to look at him. He shrugged his shoulders and Shiro nudged him. “Come on, you love space. You’re a total space nerd.”

“I’m not a space nerd,” Keith protested, unbuckling his seat belt. “I just - haven’t done this in a while.” Shiro pressed his lips together, looking at Keith with sympathy. Keith caught his look and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up further and quickly stepping out of the car. “Just remember that we have to leave by 9:30,” Keith said. “I want to get in front of the crowd.”

“But what if you end up wanting to stay? I mean, stars! Super cool, right?” Shiro said, stepping out of the car as well. Keith gave him an unamused look and shut his car door.

“You’re not getting out of this, Shiro,” Keith said. He put his hands in the pocket of his sweatshirt. “Unless you want to let me go alone -”

“Not happening,” Shiro said, and Keith slumped his shoulders. “At least give this a try, Keith. Live in the moment.” Keith rolled his eyes.

“Okay, fine.” The two of them walked towards the football field where Adam said that the telescope would be set up. Shiro could make out three figures.

“This is so dumb,” the voice closest to the telescope said. They seemed to be adjusting where it was perched on the table slightly.

“What should I have done, Pidge? Oh sorry the four of us _actually_ go to - Hey, Shiro! Keith!” Adam said, seeing Shiro and Keith approaching the half-line where they had set up. “I’m glad that you guys could make it.” Pidge mumbled something under her breath and Hunk nudged her shoulder. He offered her what looked like a cookie and she accepted it, shaking her head and putting it in her mouth as she continued to play with the telescope.

“Thanks for letting us come,” Shiro said. He turned to see Keith standing a few steps behind him, hands still shoved in his pockets as he looked up at the sky. Shiro could see a note of sadness in his eyes, and wondered what he was thinking. Maybe it was a mistake to bring him here - maybe this was just digging up memories -

“Hey Keith,” Hunk said, walking over to him and holding out a tray. “I made cookies, if you want one.”

“Therf freally mgoof!” Pidge said enthusiastically, the rest of the cookie shoved in her mouth. Shiro caught a flicker of a smile on Keiths’ lips and he took one.

“Thanks,” he said quietly, taking a small bite. He looked down at it and his eyes widened. “Fuck,” he breathed, and Hunk beamed.

“Keith -” Shiro said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. Adam laughed.

“He can swear here. They’re aren’t many rules when it comes to astronomy club,” Adam said.

“Huh, I didn’t think that there were _any_ rules, given the fact that -”

“Hey Pidge how about you show Keith that star that we were looking at earlier,” Adam said, shooting Pidge a stern look. Shiro watched them, a little confused. Pidge rolled her eyes and looked at Keith, who had already finished his cookie and was picking up another one, hovering over Hunk’s tray like a starved animal.

“Yo Keith, check this out,” Pidge said, waving him over. Keith looked up and walked over to the telescope, Hunk following behind. Pidge put an eye to the telescope and turned a knob on the side. Then she took a step back. “Let’s see if you can name this star.” Keith finished chewing and took a step forward, bending down to look through the telescope lens.

“Albireo,” Keith said almost immediately. Shiro watched as Pidge’s eyes widened.

“Is he right?” Pidge asked, looking at Hunk. Keith stepped aside so that Hunk could take a look. He smiled.

“Yeah, that’s Albireo all right. The sky’s beloved double star.”

“No shit,” Pidge said, looking at Keith. She seemed impressed.

“Did someone say something about a star?” a voice said, and Shiro turned to see Lance striding up to them, hands in his pockets and a grin on his face. He walked over to Adam. “Sorry I’m late. When Pidge told me that we were having an astronomy meeting I thought that she was _joking_ -” Then Lance glanced at Shiro, eyes widening slightly. “You know, because Pidge likes to mess with me all the time,” he explained, glancing back at Adam and giving him a sheepish smile. Shiro nodded his head. He didn’t know Pidge all that well, but that sounded about right. Adam gave Lance a tired smile and Lance shot him finger-guns in reply, moving to stand next to his classmates. “So what are we looking at?”

“Albireo,” Hunk said, letting Lance look through the telescope. He let out a low whistle.

“One gold, one blue. That’s pretty cool,” Lance said. He stepped back and looked at Keith. “What do you think?”

“It’s one of my favorites,” Keith said.

“Why?” Lance asked, blinking at him in curiosity. Keith seemed to be caught off guard for a moment, and then he looked up at the sky. “It looks like an ordinary star to the naked eye, but if you have a telescope you can see it for what it really is. Actually, with an even _more_ advanced telescope you can see that the dimmer star, the blue one, is actually two stars.” Keith shrugged. “It’s pretty awesome. It just takes some work to see how awesome it is.” He paused. “My parents always like that one.” He tugged at his sleeves, looking at no one.

“You said naked,” Lance said with a snicker, and Keith looked at him in surprise. Then Shiro watched as Keith hid a smile behind his sleeve.

“I totally just picked a random star,” Pidge said. “How do you know all this stuff?”

“My parents were professors at Altea Tech,” Keith explained with a shrug. “My dad taught electrical engineering and my mom taught astrophysics.”

“Wait, your parents _worked_ there?” Lance asked, eyes wide. “That’s so cool! Have you seen the campus?”

“Yeah, they used to take me there a lot when I was little,” Keith explained. Lance put a hand on his shoulder.

“You are so cool, man,” Lance said, and Keith’s eyes widened.

“Uh, thanks?” Hunk laughed.

“You’re scaring him,” Hunk said, holding out his tray. “Take a cookie.” Lance moved to take a cookie, taking an eager bite.

“ _Hostias_ ,” Lance breathed, eyes wide. He looked like he was about to cry. He pulled Hunk in for a hug. “My best friend is amazing at everything.” Hunk laughed and patted his back.

“Okay there, Lance,” he said. Then Pidge checked her watch and looked at Adam. Adam coughed and stepped up to the telescope.

“So what do you think, Pidge? One more star and then we call it a night?” Adam turned to look at Shiro. “They have exams to study for, so we’d planned to cut tonight a little shorter than usual.”

“Right, of course. We actually have somewhere to be as well,” Shiro said, feeling Keith’s gaze on him. It was almost 9:30. Adam’s eyes brightened as he clasped his hands together.

“Perfect! Okay Pidge, what do you have for us?” Pidge adjusted her large, round glasses.

“Actually, how about Keith chooses,” Pidge said, looking at Keith from where he was watching Lance tackling Hunk in a hug with an amused smile. Keith seemed to realize that they were talking about him and looked at them in surprise.

“Me?”

“Matt gave me very strict rules that only I’m supposed to touch it. But he really didn’t want _Lance_ to touch it,” Pidge explained, whispering that last part.

“Hey -” Lance complained from where he and Hunk were on the ground.

“But I have a feeling that you know your way around a telescope.”

“Yeah, okay. I can give it a try,” Keith said, walking up to it. He glanced at Shiro and then put his hands on the appropriate knobs, looking through the lens. “What do you guys want to see?”

“Something we’ve never seen before,” Lance declared, helping Hunk to his feet. Thankfully the cookies were okay. Keith rolled his eyes.

“How exactly am I supposed to know what you haven’t seen before, Lance?”

“He rarely pays attention so just pretend that he hasn’t looked up at the sky, like, ever,” Pidge said with a wave of her hand.

“Hey!” Lance protested. “You know that the sky is like, my _thing_ . Not the stars, planets, and meteors part, but I could name you the _ten basic cloud types_ -”

“I’ve got something,” Keith said, stepping back from the telescope. Hunk was the first to step forward and look through the lens. Shiro watched his eyes widen.

“He got the Andromeda Galaxy,” Hunk breathed. He moved aside to let everyone else take a look. Shiro bent down to see a ball of light surrounded by an almost fuzzy cloud of what must be stars.

“If you look above Andromeda you can see M110 and if you look a little below the center of Andromeda and to the right you can see M32,” Keith explained as Adam stepped up to the telescope.

“Those are Andromeda’s two satellite galaxies,” Hunk told Shiro, and Shiro watched as Adam straightened back up, looking at Keith with interest.

“You really have a talent for this, Keith,” Adam said, and Keith scuffed the turf of the football field with his shoe, giving him a shrug in reply. “Have you decided what you want to do after college?” Keith looked up at him in surprise.

“I just know that I want to go to Altea Tech. After that - I guess I haven’t really thought about it,” Keith said, furrowing his brow.

“You’ve got time,” Adam assures him. “Whatever you _do_ decide though, I have a feeling that it’s going to be pretty amazing,” Adam said, and Keith’s eyes widened a fraction. Then he looked away, shrugging his shoulders.

“Maybe.” Then Shiro watched as Keith checked his phone. He looked at Shiro. “We should leave.”

Pidge made a surprised noise and looked up from the watch on her wrist. “Shit, we need to go too.” She began to lift the telescope off of the table, Hunk moving to help her. Lance collapsed the table, a cookie in his mouth.

“Sorry this meeting was short,” Adam said to Shiro, rubbing the back of his neck.

“That’s fine. I think we’re both looking forward to the next one,” Shiro said. He watched Adam look back at Pidge, who was already looking at Adam with a raised brow, before he looked back at Shiro.

“So am I,” Adam said, and Pidge mumbled something to herself as she carefully zipped up the large bag for her telescope. Hunk picked up the bag, holding it carefully in his arms.

“Shiro,” Keith said, and Shiro nodded his head.

“I know, I know. Thanks, you guys.”

“It’s so cool that you could come, Keith!” Lance said. “We need to take a tour of Altea Tech together sometime! All of us!” Keith rubbed the back of his neck.

“That would be...yeah, sure,” Keith said slowly, a small smile tugging at his lips. Then he checked his phone again and grabbed Shiro’s sleeve. “See you in school!” he called, pulling Shiro after him. Shiro’s eyes widened and he locked eyes with Adam, who was hiding a smile behind his hand. Shiro smiled back and waved goodbye. Then he and Keith made their way to his car.

“Buckle your seatbelt,” Shiro reminded him.

“Already did,” Keith said, tapping his fingers against his thigh. Shiro pulled out of the parking lot and snuck at glance at him.

“Those three are nice.”

“Yeah, they’re cool,” Keith said, keeping his tone neutral.

“Do you think you’ll spend more time with them? You know, at school or after school?”

“I hope -” Keith stopped. Then he looked at Shiro suspiciously. “Was this some kind of plot for me to make friends?” Shiro scoffed.

“When you call it a ‘plot’ it makes me sound like some kind of supervillain.”

“Hey, I just found out that you’re the _Paladin_. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were a supervillain too.” Shiro laughed, shaking his head.

“Maybe I’m some evil clone,” Shiro offered. “And my sole purpose in life is for you to make friends and be happy, how _terrible_ ,” he teased, reaching out to ruffle Keith’s hair. Keith dodged it, swatting his hand away and letting out a surprised laugh. Then Keith struggled to pull his oversized sweatshirt over his head. He peeled it off and tossed it into the backseat, and Shiro saw that he was wearing the small, black hoodie he had on the other night when he went to Altea Drive.

“You’re such a dork,” Keith said, fixing his sleeves. “I still can’t understand how you were the Paladin. The Paladin was like the _ultimate_ daredevil. You drive a Subaru and foster a high school student.”

“I’ll admit, I was a lot cooler when I was the Paladin,” Shiro confessed, tightening his grip on his steering wheel. “It was - well, it was fun. Before it wasn’t.”

“You should go back,” Keith said, sitting up in his seat and facing Shiro. “You should _race_ again -”

“Woah, woah,” Shiro said. “I’m just keeping an eye on you so you don’t get into any trouble. That’s the deal.” Then he pulled into the side street and parked. He furrowed his brow. “Wait, is this part of some plot to get me to be the Paladin again?” He looked over at Keith and watched as he reached into the back seat to pull out his red bandana, tying it around his neck and lifting it over his nose and mouth. Then he pulled up his hood to cover his hair.

“When you say ‘plot’ it makes me sound like some kind of _supervillain_ -” Keith began, and Shiro laughed, rolling his eyes and putting his helmet over his head, flipping down the visor. “That’s the Paladin helmet, isn’t it?” Keith asked.

“Yeah, it is. I’m thinking that I should get a new one though, if I’m going to be coming here more often. Someone almost recognized me the other night -”

“Who?” Keith asked. Shiro scoffed.

“That new hotshot. Pilot.” Keith opened his car door and stepped out. Shiro got out of the car as well.

“He’s really good,” Keith said. “His team has modified the _shit_ out of that car. I didn’t think a Chevy could go that fast. I mean, you saw it beat that Lambo the other night, right?” Shiro nodded.

“That was definitely a surprise.” Shiro watched Keith slump his shoulders as they began to walk.

“I wanted to get a closer look at it, but one of the members of Pilot’s team acted like he was some sort of _bouncer_ or something.” Keith rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I was going to break it. I just wanted a closer look at the rims. God, he was _so dramatic_ -” Keith was cut off by the sounds of cheering. “It’s starting soon,” he said, walking faster towards Altea Drive. Shiro hurried to catch up with him, not wanting to lose him in the crowd. They pushed past a few people to get to the front of the mass of people and right by the road. Keith gripped the barrier and took it all in, his eyes wide. Shiro watched as the first car pulled into the starting position, right in front of them, and his eyes widened as well.

“What kind of car is that?” Keith asked.

“It’s a Koenigsegg CCR,” Shiro said. It looked brand new, silver and shiny with blue rims that seemed to glow with energy. It was sleek and aerodynamic, like it could slice air. Shiro shook his head, impressed. “The cars are just getting better and better.”

“Yeah, but I bet that you could still smoke any competition in the Black Lion,” Keith said, and Shiro nudged his shoulder. “What?”

“You need to keep your voice down about that kind of stuff here,” Shiro said. “What if people are listening to us?” Keith rolled his eyes.

“You’re being paranoid.” Then the passenger’s side door opened and a man stepped out. He had fiery orange hair and a thick black mask that covered his eyes. It looked like a simple masquerade mask. He smiled at the crowd and twirled his orange mustache. The crowd burst into cheers. Then he laughed and flexed his bicep, but the crowd didn’t seem as impressed by that. The driver’s side door opened a moment later and a young woman came to stand next to her partner. She was wearing a black and white flight suit with pink and blue accents. Her long silver hair was pinned up and out of her face in a bun, and she was also wearing a mask, this one more intricate. It was gold and blue and shone in the light. She found Shiro’s gaze in the crowd and her blue eyes widened.

“Do you know her?” Keith asked, turning to look at Shiro, and then back at the young woman, who was whispering something to her partner. Then the young woman was walking up to Shiro, eyes still wide. The crowd watched her in confusion, but then the engine roared and they cheered as the masked man revved the car and pumped his fist, car doors still open wide.

“Paladin?” the woman asked, voice soft as she came to stop at the barrier. “Is it really you?”

“Princess,” Shiro said, looking around. Most people seemed to be focused on the car, but he didn’t want to take any risks. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah, it’s me.” Shiro watched as tears began to well up in her eyes and she threw her arms around Shiro’s neck.

“When I found you in the Black Lion I thought -” she began, shoulders shaking slightly. Then she pulled away and smacked his chest. “Why did you just _disappear_ like that? You didn’t even say goodbye.” Shiro felt a stab of guilt.

“I wasn’t the Paladin anymore,” Shiro explained, but she rolled her eyes.

“You were more than the Paladin to me, Shiro,” she said quietly. “You were my friend. I’ve missed you.”

“I’m sorry Allura,” Shiro said quietly as well, still wary of the people around him. “I didn’t know what to do -”

“It’s okay,” Allura said, standing up straight. “It’s just so good to see you.” Then her attention shifted to Keith. “And who is this?”

“The name’s Blade,” Keith said, nodding his head once in acknowledgement. Shiro rolled his eyes.

“This is Keith. He’s family.” Keith made a noise of protest and hit Shiro’s shoulder.

“I’m _Blade_ here,” Keith hissed.

“Not to Allura, because she’s family too,” Shiro explained, and her eyes shone.

“You have to stop by the shop soon,” she insisted, reaching out to hold Shiro’s hands. “Coran will be so _happy_ -” Then the crowd exploded into new cheers and Allura turned to see the dark orange Chevy roll into the starting position and next to her car. Four people quickly got out. Then Allura turned back to face Shiro. “Promise you’ll stop by?” Shiro smiled.

“I guess the Black Lion does need some attention,” Shiro confessed. Allura beamed, squeezing Shiro’s hands.

“I’ll see you soon, then,” she said. Then she turned around and headed over to where Pilot was standing outside of his car, talking quickly to his crew. He picked up his head, seeing Allura.

“I’m so sorry, Princess! We had to take a detour before coming here,” Pilot explained. His smallest crew member - Green - snickered, leaning against the car.

“Yeah, it was in the name of loooooveee -” Green teased. Pilot shot her a look and she laughed, pushing herself off the car and moving to where Blue and Yellow were kneeling next to the back tire. They looked like they were checking the air pressure.  Pilot rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and looked back at Allura.

“We _are_ sorry, though. I’ve been looking forward to this race for a while -” Allura lifted up her hand to stop him.

“All is forgiven. I’ve been looking forward to this as well. I hope you’re ready for the new improvements that we’ve made.” Pilot grinned, crossing his arms.

“We’ve made some upgrades too.” Then Shiro watched as Allura’s partner, The Handsome Man, he called himself, although that name hadn’t really stuck, ran over to the crowd, holding out his hand and accepting high fives as he let out a cheer of his own. Allura laughed behind her hand.

“We’re all set, Pilot,” Yellow said, moving to stand. Blue stood up as well, seeming to bask in the cheers of the crowd as he looked around.

“Shit,” Keith said, pulling his hood farther down his face.

“ _You!_ ” Blue said, pointing his finger at Keith and starting to walk up to him. Yellow wrapped his arms around Blue from the back and Blue tried to struggle against him, flailing his long arms. That’s the punk that pulled a _knife_ on me!”

“I didn’t pull my knife on him,” Keith said, rolling his eyes. He gave Blue a small wave and Blue’s nostrils flared, trying harder to break free of Hunk’s grasp but failing terribly.

“Hey, it’s time to start. You can fight with him all you want later,” Green said, waving her teammates over to the side, out of the way of the cars. Yellow carried Blue over to the spot with him, Blue crossing his arms in defeat. Keith scoffed.

“You’re not going to fight him later,” Shiro warned, and Keith waved him off.

“I won’t. It wouldn’t be much of a fight, anyway. Do you see how noodley he is?” Then the two of them watched as Pilot and Allura, or _Princess_ , on Altea Drive, shook hands and headed for their cars. Coran moved to stand next to Pilot’s crew, giving them all a high-fives. This race seemed different from the last one Shiro had seen - more friendlier. But he could still sense the competitiveness in the air, the desire to win. He found himself smiling.

Nights like these - this was when street racing really became magical. This was what he missed.

 _Missed_.

Shiro shook his head, finding himself rubbing his prosthetic shoulder. Why was it that he still missed it? _How_ did he still miss it, giving all that happened. He didn’t want it.

He _couldn’t_.

A man stood in front of the cars with his red flag raised high in the air. He counted down, the engines already roaring to life, and then he threw down the flag. The two cars sped off in an instant, kicking up dust on the paved road. It was almost a haunting sight, seeing two cars speeding off down an abandoned residential area, passing by dark, empty houses and chasing the starlight on the horizon. Both cars seemed to glow, the Chevy with a pale orange light and the Koenigsegg with a brighter blue one. It reminded him of -

“Albireo,” Keith said quietly. “The beloved double star.” Shiro turned to look at Keith and saw the night sky reflected in his dark purple eyes. He watched as Keith took it all in, his eyes glued to the cars as they made it to the halfway point and were already heading back, neck-in-neck. Shiro couldn’t help but smile as he watched Keith. Adam was right. He was going to do amazing things. This kid had starlight in him. The sounds of the cars got louder as they approached the finish line. It was hard to tell who was pulling ahead. First it seemed like it was the Chevy, then the Koenigsegg, then the Chevy again. The crowd got increasingly louder and the night air seemed to buzz with energy at a higher and higher frequency and then -

“ _PI-LOT PI-LOT PI-LOT!_ ” The crowd erupted. Blue jumped into Yellow arms, lifting his own arms in the air. Green was jumping up and down. The dust settled around the cars and Pilot quickly got out, pumping his fist. He hurried up to Allura, who was getting out of her own car, and pulled her into a hug. She laughed and hugged him back.

“You weren’t lying when you said you made some improvements,” Shiro could hear Allura say. “Did you fix the suspension?”

“Just like you told me,” Pilot said, nodding his head.

“I shouldn’t have given advice to the enemy,” Allura teased, shaking her head. Then Coran came over and held out a wad of cash. Pilot’s eyes widened.

“This wasn’t for money,” Pilot said. “This was just a friendly match.”

“You beat me fair and square.” Allura insisted, taking the cash from Coran and giving it to Pilot. Pilot continued to look at it with wide eyes, fanning it out in his hands and scanning over the bills. He looked up at Allura and shook his head, trying to hand it back.

“This is _way_ too much. People _never_ give this much when they -”

“Please. I know why you’re doing this. It’s a noble cause, and I want to do what I can to help,” Allura said, clasping her hands in front of her. Pilot looked at her with wide eyes, and then he smiled.

“Thank you, _Princess_.” Allura laughed, and Shiro had a sneaking suspicion that Pilot knew who Allura really was, like he did. It piqued Shiro’s curiosity. Allura didn’t just reveal her identity to anyone. Not for the first time he wondered just who this guy was. He watched as Pilot split the cash into three and walked up to his crew, handing the money over to them. They each took it with wide eyes, counting the money.

“Seriously?” Blue asked, mouth gaping open. Pilot grinned and nodded his head. Blue ran up to Allura and gave her a hug. “I will lay down my life for you, Princess.” Allura laughed and patted Blue’s back, looking at Coran for help.

“This is not the behavior of a street racer, nor a member of a crew such as Pilot’s,” Allura chided, and Blue pulled away, looking sheepish. Allura smiled. “But you’re welcome.” Blue grinned and hurried back to Yellow and Green, tucking his cash into his pocket and throwing an arm around each of his friends. They looked excited as well.

“That was amazing,” Keith breathed. He turned to face Shiro. “Were my parents’ races like that?” Shiro thought it over.

“When I watched their races, I thought they were the coolest people in the world. I’ll never forget how I felt when I watched them. They were something special. Nothing could compare to them. No _one_.” Although this Pilot - Shiro realized - he came pretty close.

“I’m starting to get the impression that you’re stalking me,” a voice said, and Shiro lifted his eyes to meet Pilot’s, who was standing in front of him on the other side of the barrier. Shiro rolled his eyes.

“I’m surprised that your ego fits into that hat of yours,” Shiro remarked, his eyes flicking up at Pilot’s aviator hat. Pilot grinned, fixing his goggles.

“It’s a tight squeeze but I manage,” Pilot replied, resting his arms on the barrier. “I see you found your kid,” he said, looking down at Keith. “You know he came looking for you. He thought that you were sneaking off to join my crew.” Keith tugged his hood over his ears and looked at the ground, letting out a low groan.

“That is so embarrassing,” Keith mumbled, and Pilot let out a laugh.

“You know, you seem pretty tough. Maybe I _would_ consider having you join my team, partly to push this guy’s buttons,” Pilot said, shooting Shiro a grin. Shiro wasn’t impressed, but that only made Pilot smile wider. “Too bad one member of my crew wants to fight you any time he sees you. Why is that?”

Keith looked up at Pilot, shrugging his shoulders. “Testosterone?” Pilot laughed again.

“That adds up,” Pilot said, nodding his head. Then he looked back to see his crew still huddled together, smiling and talking excitedly. Shiro watched the fond smile on Pilot’s lips as he watched. Then he met Shiro’s gaze. “You know, you never gave me your name.”

“I’m, uh -” Shiro began, trying to come up with a good name.

“Cat,” Keith said, and Shiro looked at him.

“My name is _not_ Cat.”

“It’s your Altea Drive name,” Keith said. “I’m Blade and you’re Cat.”

“We’re _not_ going with Cat!” Shiro protested, throwing his arms into the air. There was a certain glint in Keith’s eyes that told Shiro that he was biting back his grin behind his bandana.

“How about Kuron, then?”

“I’m not actually a clone, Ke- _Blade_ , and when did you learn Japanese?” Keith shrugged his shoulders.

“I just heard the word in a cartoon once,” he explained. Shiro sighed and shook his head. He noticed that Pilot was watching the two of them with amusement, his elbow leaning against the barrier and his chin resting in his palm.

“You’re loving this, aren’t you?” Shiro said dryly, and Pilot nodded his head.

“Very much so, yeah.” Shiro sighed again. He racked his brain for a good name before Keith could continue to mess with him.

“My name is -”

“Paladin,” Allura said, walking up to join them. “I didn’t know that you and Pilot were already acquainted.” She clasped her hands together. Keith looked at Shiro with wide eyes, and then Shiro turned to see Pilot staring at him, mouth open in surprise. Allura looked at the three of them, her eyes soon widening as well. She moved her hands to cover her mouth. “I’ve made a mistake.”

“You’re the Paladin -” Pilot whispered, disbelief in his voice. “ _The_ Paladin?” Shiro puffed out his cheeks, shooting Allura a look. She looked apologetically back at him, wincing and dropping her hands from her face.

“Yes, I am.” Pilot’s eyes widened even further.

“ _No way_ ,” he breathed. “I never thought - where did you _go_?” Shiro crossed his arms.

“I retired.” Pilot shook his head in disbelief.  

“I used to watch you race! You were an inspiration! My brother and I -” Pilot began, but he stopped abruptly, his smile fading. Then his expression brightened up again. “You were the _best_.”

“Thanks,” Shiro said, appreciation and pain both beginning to swell up inside him. Appreciation for what people remembered, pain for what he had lost.

“I _knew_ I recognized that helmet,” Pilot said. “We have a lot of new people who come to these races, people who didn’t know the greats, but I still remember them all. And I _remember_ that helmet.”

“Did you know Firefighter? And Marmora?” Keith asked suddenly, and Pilot looked at him in surprise. He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Of course. I watched them when I was a kid. I used to sneak out of the house - you’re a little young to know those two.” Pilot looked at Keith with interest. Allura looked at him in curiosity as well. Keith looked away.

“I’ve done my research,” he said, Pilot nodded his head, seeming to accept that answer.

“They were two of the greats, along with Paladin here,” Pilot said, shooting Shiro a grin. Then he looked back at his crew once more, and Shiro watched as Blue finally noticed who Pilot was talking to. Blue, along with Yellow and Green, made their way across the road and towards them, dodging around the thinning crowd. Once the race had finished people had already started heading home. They weren’t as many people around now.

“What’s going on, Pilot?” Blue asked, crossing his arms as he stopped to stand next to Pilot and in front of Keith, looking Keith over. “This punk giving you any trouble?” Pilot laughed.

“It’s fine, Blue.” Then Pilot looked at Shiro. “We should get going. I’m guessing I’ll see you around here again?”

Shiro glanced at Keith, who had a determined look on his face as he was scanning the faces of the people who were leaving. Then he looked back at Pilot.

“It wouldn’t be a bad guess,” Shiro replied, and the corner of Pilot’s lips quirked up in amusement. He pushed off of the barrier and stretched his shoulders. Then he gently grabbed one of Allura’s hands and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “It was a pleasure, like always. I plan to stop by this weekend.” Allura nodded her head.

“I look forward to seeing you.” Then she looked at Shiro. “And you, too.” With that she gave them all a polite smile and walked over to where Coran was inspecting something in the back of their car.

“I have a knife too, you know,” Blue said, lifting his chin as he stared Keith down. Keith gave him an unimpressed look.

“No you don’t, dork,” Green said, and Blue looked at her, letting out a whine of protest.

“Where is the loyalty?” Blue complained, and Keith laughed, tugging his hood more securely over his hair. Blue shot him a glance, his cheeks a little more pink than they were before, and stomped off towards their car. Yellow and Green followed after him, Yellow giving Keith a small wave and Green playing with the tools in their hands. Pilot watched them go.

“Until next time,” Pilot said. Shiro scoffed.

“Let me guess, did you just wink again?” Shiro asked, and Pilot grinned.

“I sure did. See you around, _Cat_.” With that Pilot turned around and headed back for his car, leaving Shiro and Keith to stand there alone. Shiro shook his head as he watched him leave. Then he looked at Keith.

“Cat, did you _really_ have to go with Cat?”

“I think it has some potential,” Keith said with a shrug, and he let out a yelp of surprise as Shiro got him in a headlock, ruffling his hair.

“This is child abuse!” Keith complained, laughing. Shiro grinned and let him go, tugging on Keith’s hood.

“Let’s go, _Blade_ ,” Shiro said, heading towards the Altea Drive street sign and in the direction of where his car was parked.

“Do you really have to say it like that? It’s a cool name,” Keith said, walking to catch up to Shiro. Shiro looked at him from the corner of his eye, and then he looked back to see Pilot giving Green a high-five, putting his hands on his hips and smiling at his crew. His whole face seemed to light up when he smiled. Shiro felt his face heat up and he quickly faced forwards again.

“Yeah, it is a cool name,” Shiro confessed, and even with the bandana he could tell that Keith was smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t realize how much I’d love writing broganes :’)
> 
> Next chapter in two weeks!


	3. Lap Three

“Why does this place look so familiar?” Keith asked, stopping in front of the large shop that Shiro had parked his Subaru in front of. Shiro closed his car door and walked over to join him, putting his hands on his hips as his eyes squinted in the sun.

 _Alfor’s Auto Shop_ , the sign said, the letters large and blue and glowing from where they hung over the entrance. The stop was painted white, and a garage door was open to reveal the inside of the shop. On one side there were two neat rows of cars, the average cars that you found citizens around town driving, and on the other side there were shelves and shelves of different kinds of tools and supplies. Blue lights covered the high ceiling, casting the white walls and floor in a soft glow. Everything looked clean and organized and efficient, just how Allura liked it. Shiro smiled. It was nice to know that some things never changed.

“Your parents probably took you here when you were a kid,” Shiro offered, and Keith looked at the shop with wide eyes, taking it all in.

“Yeah I - I remember coming here,” Keith said, furrowing his brow. “But I remember a man owning his place, and not one with orange hair, one with white hair and -”

“You’re talking about my father,” a voice said, and Shiro looked to see Allura appear from behind one of the shelves closest to the entrance. She had a tablet in her hand and a smile on her face. She pushed a lock of white hair behind her ear, her long hair falling loosely around her. “His name was Alfor,” she said politely, pointing to the sign above their heads. “Please, come in, let me show you around.” She beckoned them inside. Keith glanced at Shiro before walking in, leaving the sunlight for the artificial blue glow. “I hope that _you_ still remember this place quite well,” Allura said, looking at Shiro as she led them past the rows of cars. “We’ve made some minor improvements, but I’ve tried to honor my father’s original set up.”

“It looks great, Allura,” Shiro said, looking around. Everything was pretty much like he remembered it, just, newer. Newer cars, newer tools - he hadn’t realized just how long he’d been gone. He realized that he was rubbing the metal of his prosthetic arm and he put his hands in his pockets. 

“So what are you looking for today?” Allura asked, leading them towards the shelves. She looked back at Shiro and gave him a secretive smile. “Do you need anything from the back?” Keith looked at Shiro curiously and Shiro gave Allura a small smile, shaking his head. 

“No.” 

“Not today, at least,” Allura amended, nodding her head in understanding. Shiro opened his mouth to protest, but then he caught her look and scoffed instead. 

“Okay, we can go with that,” Shiro said. He puffed out his cheeks, going through a mental list in his head. “I’ve been meaning to buy some polish and sealer, and some brake fluid. Just little things.” Allura pouted.

“You’ve been neglecting the Black Lion, haven’t you? I bet you keep her locked up somewhere dark and cold.”

“It’s not like I can just park her outside of my apartment,” Shiro argued. 

“You know that you can keep her here,” Allura said. “This would be the safest place for her, and Coran would give her the attention she deserves.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound as comforting as you might think it does,” Shiro said, imagining Coran taking his pride and joy for a spin. But Allura had a point - the Black Lion didn’t belong in his storage unit, where she was collecting dust. The storage unit was meant to be temporary, but he hadn’t found an appropriate alternative yet. “Maybe I’ll drive her over, once Keith and I give her some attention.” Allura set down her tablet on a nearby table, clasping her hands together in excitement.

“You know how our night hours work,” she said, stopping to stand in front of one of the shelves. “This is where you can find what you need. Feel free to take your time. I need to check in with Coran and we’ll come out to meet you in a few minutes,” she said, walking over to pick her tablet back up. She gave them a small wave and headed for her office. The office was covered with windows, and Shiro could see Coran talking excitedly on the phone with someone, waving his arms in grand gestures. There was a vase full of unique pink flowers on his desk.

“So you’re really going to let me help fix your car?” Keith asked, standing next to Shiro and in front of the shelf full of different kinds of sealers. Shiro leaned forward and scanned his eyes over the different brands. 

“Of course. There’s no one else I’d trust,” Shiro said, and when Keith didn’t say anything he glanced over to see a small smile tugging at his lips, hands deep in the pockets of his sweatshirt as he helped Shiro look through the shelves. 

“Shiro? Keith?” a voice asked, and Shiro turned his head to see Adam standing farther down the aisle, looking surprised. He walked up to them, an engine air filter in his hand. “I didn’t know you shop here.” Shiro straightened up, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Not often, but I need to, uh, give the Subaru some overdue maintenance.” Adam nodded his head.

“Yeah, I thought I’d get some things to help my engine,” he said, looking at the shelves before reaching over to grab a bottle of coolant.

“What do you drive?” Shiro asked. Adam fixed his glasses using his forearm, his hands full. 

“Oh, me?” Adam asked. “I, uh, drive a Honda. A black one, nothing special. I’m not really into those flashy cars,” he explained, letting out a laugh and adjusting his grip on the coolant. “So, um, enjoying your weekend?”

“Yeah, Keith and I are having some good bonding time,” Shiro said, putting a hand on Keith’s shoulder. Keith stepped away to move down the aisle, looking through more brands. Shiro let out an awkward laugh, and Adam smiled.

“I can see your bond getting stronger. It’s like you’re inseparable,” Adam said with a nod, watching as Keith wandered farther and farther down the aisle, finally reaching out to inspect a bottle of brake fluid. Shiro laughed, shaking his head. 

“I never thought I’d have a teenager this young, that’s for sure,” he confessed. “But he’s been good.”

Adam shifted his stance, his smile looking almost nervous. “So do you and Keith usually have bonding time over the weekends?” Shiro shrugged his shoulders.

“Sometimes. He likes to go outside a lot, see new things, spend time alone with himself. He’s always looking for the next adventure. I like to stay at home with my books and our dog most days.”

“You have a dog?” Adam asked. Shiro nodded his head.

“His name’s Kosmo. It’s Keith’s dog really, but I was the one who named him. Keith kept going on about wanting to wait until Kosmo told Keith his name, but we needed to write _something_ on the dog tag so -” Adam smiled.

“Seems like a perfect name,” he mused. Then he shifted his stance again. “I have a dog, too.”

“Yeah?” 

“He’s a corgi. His name’s Atlas.” Adam grinned. “He carries the world on his stubby legs.” Shiro laughed. 

‘Sounds like a cute dog.”

“He’s probably my best friend,” Adam said, nodding his head. Then he looked at Shiro, his cheeks looking a litter pinker than normal. Shiro wondered if Allura had turned the air conditioning off, but it didn’t feel that much hotter in here. “You know, maybe sometime soon we could go to a park and -?”

“Shiro!” a voice yelled, rushing up to pull Shiro into a hug. Shiro’s eyes widened and he looked to Adam for help, but Adam looked just as confused as he was. Then the assailant pulled away and Shiro saw the flash of an orange mustache. “It’s so good to see you!” Coran exclaimed, still holding on to Shiro’s shoulders. Shiro smiled.

“It’s really good to see you too, Coran.”

“Sorry that I didn’t come out earlier, I was having a _riveting_ conversation with our warehouse supervisor about this kind of rubber that can make tires explode -”

“I think it’s important to clarify that we do not own this material nor do we intend on supplying it,” Allura said, walking up to joing them. “Hello, Adam. How’s your search going?” Adam lifted up the filter and the coolant.

“Pretty successful. Although there is that one thing we talked about -” Adam began. His gaze flicked towards Shiro before looking back at Allura. 

“Of course. Coran can show our selection to you,” Allura said, looking at Coran, who had his arm wrapped around Shiro’s shoulders. Then she seemed to realize something, and her attention shifted back to Adam. “I’m guessing that you no longer need me to pass along that message, then?” Adam looked at her in confusion.

“I don’t really have a way of contacting him, so It’d be great if you could let him know.” Adam said politely. “If you get the chance.” Allura tilted her head slightly. She glanced at Shiro and Shiro shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what they were talking about. Then Allura gave a short nod of her head, looking between Adam and Shiro once more before clasping her hands in front of her and giving them a smile.

“I see. That won’t be a problem, Adam, I just wanted to make sure. My apologies.” Adam smiled.

“No apologies needed.” Then he looked at Shiro. “I guess I’ll see you in school, then?” Shiro nodded his head.

“Have a nice weekend.”

“Have some nice bonding time,” Adam said, a teasing edge to his smile. Shiro looked over to see Keith inspecting he colorful bottles in his arms, quickly shifting his grip when he almost dropped one of them. Then Shiro felt Coran step away from him.

“Good to see you back,” Coran whispered, giving him a wink before throwing an arm around Adam’s shoulders and leading him away from the shelves and out of sight. 

“Keith seems very - dedicated,” Allura mused. The two of them watched as Keith tried to reach for another bottle, almost losing his grip on all of the bottles in his arms. Shiro laughed, watching him fondly. Then his expression sobered.

“His parents were Firefighter and Marmora,” Shiro explained, and Allura nodded her head. She watched Keith with sympathy.

“Yes, I heard the other night. It is not easy, losing your family. Losing your home,” Allura said quietly, her gaze pensive.

“He’s trying to find out who did it. He doesn’t think that it was an accident,” Shiro added, and he felt Allura’s surprised eyes on him as he watched Keith set the bottles down and put them back in their appropriate spots. Then he looked at Allura. “Do you think there’s a chance that -?” 

“Nothing truly surprises me anymore,” Allura offered, furrowing her brow. “If I hear anything, anything that may help, that may provide some clarity, you’ll be the first to know.” Shiro nodded his head.

“Thank you, Allura. For everything.” Shiro paused. “For saving my life, too.” Allura reached over and gave his arm a squeeze.

“I’d do it a million times over, Shiro,” she said firmly. Then she smiled, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Pilot stopped by the shop today,” she said. Shiro waited for her to continue, wondering where she was going with this. “He remembered me mentioning how you were dropping by this weekend, you know, at the race the other night.” Shiro nodded his head, still slightly confused. “He was hoping that I would tell you that he wants to see you.” Shiro’s eyes widened.

“He wants to see me?” Shiro asked, caught off guard. Why did Pilot want to see _him_?

“He told me to tell you that he’ll be at Altea Drive tonight. It’s an off night so there’s no race,” Allura explained. “He’ll be waiting if you decide to show up.” Shiro blinked at her.

“I’m not sure if that would be a good idea -” Shiro began, and Allura shrugged her shoulders. 

“I can’t tell you if it is or not,” she offered, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “But I do believe that it’s worth the risk.” Her blue eyes flashed, and Shiro considered her advice.

“I trust you, Allura. But I’d feel bad about leaving Keith alone, and if Keith found out what I was _doing_ \- I’ll have to think about it.” Allura smiled.

“I just hope that when you come by with the Black Lion you’ll tell me how it goes,” she said innocently, and Shiro scoffed.

“You always like to know the gossip, don’t you?” Allura shrugged.

“It’s the best way to run a business like this.” Then they heard a noise and looked down the aisle to see Keith picking up a huge bottle of wiper fluid that he’d dropped on the floor, struggling to lift it over his head and back on the top shelf. Shiro shook his head, a fond smile on his lips.

“I’ll see you later, Allura.”

“Until next time, Shiro.”

 

 

“You own _two_ storage units?” Keith asked. He shook his head. “I should’ve figured that one out.” Shiro laughed and put his key into the lock, lifting up the purple garage door. He lifted it up to his hips and then stopped, turning to look at Keith, who was waiting expectantly, holding the large bag of supplies in his arms and bending down a little to get a glimpse at what was behind the door. Then he met Shiro’s gaze and straightened up.

“The Black Lion is like my child,” Shiro said, and Keith rolled his eyes. 

“I know, Shiro. I won’t do anything reckless.” Shiro considered that for a moment.

“I know you won’t,” he reasoned. “I just want to make sure that you’re mentally, emotionally, physically, and _spiritually_ prepared to meet the greatest car in existence.” Keith scoffed, adjusting the bag in his arms.

“I bet I’ve seen better.” Shiro opened his mouth in shock, and began to draw the garage door back down. Keith laughed.

“I’m kidding, Shiro! Please let me see her.” Shiro smiled and lifted the door all the way up, hearing it clatter and stop in place. Then he reached over and turned on the light. “Woah,” Keith breathed, moving to stand next to Shiro and dropping the bag to the floor. Shiro put his hands on his hips, a proud gleam in his eye as he looked at the Black Lion.

Shiro should’ve known that although Pilot’s Chevy was old, that wouldn’t make it any less fast, because the Black Lion was a classic, too. She was a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 with a shiny charcoal body and two maroon stripes running down her back. She had silver rims and two sets of headlights - the inner headlights glowed a golden yellow and the outer headlights shone blue. The light blue headlights were personal touch on Allura’s part, from the last time she helped him upgrade the car. That felt like a forever ago.

Shiro stepped into the space and reached out, running gentle fingertips along the hood of the car. He lifted his hand and saw a thin layer of dust. He felt a stab of guilt. He never wanted to leave her like this. It’s like he tucked away a lifetime of himself into this small storage space, tucked away vivid, wild memories that he was surprised hadn’t overflown and burst out of the unit. Keith picked up the bag and brought it inside with him, moving to stand by the side of the car. He stared at it with wide eyes, looking like he was afraid to touch it. Shiro smiled and moved to stand next to him, nudging Keith’s shoulder and nodding towards the car. Keith looked at him and laid a hand on the car, staying like that for a long moment. Then he pulled his hand away and bent down to unzip the bag, pulling out a bottle of car wash detergent and a hose. 

“You said there’s a faucet outside, right?” Keith asked.

“It’s on the other side of this wall,” Shiro said, nodding towards the wall opposite him. Thankfully he got the two units at the end of the block. “The hose should be plenty long enough.” Keith nodded his head once and walked back outside, taking the hose with him. Shiro walked over to the bag and began pulling out sponges, towels, and two buckets. Then Keith came back with the hose.

“Want to do the honors?” Keith asked. Shiro thought about it. 

“I’ll turn on the water, you can wash her down,” Shiro directed, and Keith grinned. “Just be ready for my signal.” Then he went outside to the faucet. 

It was a nice evening. The spring air was crisp and the sky was cloudy tonight. Winter was on its way, but there was still time. Shiro checked his watch. He still had time to meet Pilot. Then he furrowed his brow. He still hadn’t decided whether he was going to go to Altea Drive tonight. He was convinced that it was a bad idea, and yet here he was checking his watch, almost anticipating it. He thought about Pilot’s grin, about how his pilot goggles glinted in the moonlight, about how he approached racing with this wonder and enthusiasm and a sense of _fun_ that Shiro had lost a long time ago. 

He remembered how it seemed like Pilot didn’t race for glory or money, but for something more complex than that, and Shiro found himself wanting to know what exactly that something was. He found himself wanting to know who Pilot was. 

“Is everything okay?” Keith called from inside the unit, and Shiro shook the thoughts away, bending over to rest his hand on the faucet.

“Yeah, are you ready?”

“Ready!” Shiro turned the faucet and he could hear water running out of the hose, hitting the car. He could also feel a blush on his cheeks. “Get it together, Shiro,” he told himself, patting his cheeks and taking a deep breath. Once his cheeks felt less warm he walked back into the unit and leaned against the doorframe, watching as Keith began to rinse off the front of the car, a determined glint in his eye. His tongue was sticking out in concentration. 

“Can you fill these two buckets?” Shiro asked, and Keith nodded his head and aimed the hose at the buckets, filling them up. “That’s good.” Keith moved the hose away and began to rinse off the back of the car. Shiro grabbed the car detergent and upcapped it, pouring some into one of the buckets. Then he grabbed a sponge and soaked it in the now soapy water. He walked over to the hood and began to rub the sponge across it in slow, methodical strokes. 

He used to wash the Black Lion regularly, making sure that the paint always sparkled, like it was made of magic. He used to spend a _lot_ of time with the Black Lion, actually, fixing her up and finding new ways to make her better, _faster_. Sometimes he felt like his car knew him better than most people did. And she only expected one thing from him - for them to win. It was simple, steady, and loyal. Him and the Black Lion shared a bond. He was beginning to realize to what extent he’d been neglecting that bond the past few years. 

Then he felt cold water on his back and quickly turned to see Keith aiming the hose at him, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. 

“You looked all old and sad,” Keith explained, shrugging his shoulders. “Also you’re so distracted that I’m putting in most of the work.” he paused, seeming to consider something. “Maybe you should just give the Black Lion to me.”

“Not a chance,” Shiro said with a scoff, and Keith sprayed him with the hose again. Shiro let out a noise of protest, and then left his sponge on the hood of the car to lunge at Keith, Keith letting out a yelp of surprise and quickly moving out of the way, hurrying to the other side of the car. Shiro chased after him, and soon they were in a game of cat and mouse, laughing as they both tried not to get soaked. 

They both got soaked anyway, but honestly, Shiro wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

 

 

Shiro had decided to go meet Pilot, to see what exactly he wanted. The logical part of Shiro reminded him that this was a bad idea as he shut the door of his Subaru and began his walk to Altea Drive, a walk that was quickly becoming too routine, but the other part of Shiro - the _Paladin_ part of him - well, that part wasn’t always easy to ignore. 

In fact, afters years of ignoring it pretty well, Shiro was feeling his resolve crumbling. He could feel that adventurous part of himself raging within him once more. The edges of this perfeclty organized, perfectly safe life that he had constructed for himself were fraying at the seams.

Shiro thought that he should be afraid, but a secret part of himself could feel how _right_ all of this was, like his soul was being tugged back into its proper place. 

He blamed Keith for this change of heart. Because Keith reminded Shiro too much of himself, or, at least, who he used to be - firey, driven, stubborn, ambitious -

But Keith was gentle, too, and kind. And he had a lot of love to give. Shiro could feel the fond smile on his lips as he remembered the conversation he had with Keith only an hour ago. 

Shiro had been pacing the kitchen, trying to think of a good excuse as to why he was going to be leaving the apartment, since he wasn’t sure if he should tell Keith about this meeting with Pilot, when Keith had come into the kitchen, opened the cabinet and began stuffing snacks into his open backpack.

“What are you doing?” Shiro had asked, quirking a brow as he watched Keith.

“Hanging out with some friends,” Keith said, continuing to put snacks in his backpack. Shiro leaned against the counter and crossed his arms, looking at Keith with interest as he zipped up his bag and hastily brushed his hair out of his eyes.

“Hunk, Pidge and Lance?” Shiro asked, and he could’ve sworn he watched Keith’s cheeks become a shade pinker when he said ‘Lance’. Keith slung the bag over his shoulder, checking his phone

“Yeah.”

“What’re you guys doing?” Shiro asked. “Hopefully not getting into any trouble.” 

“We were just planning on robbing the gas station, maybe steal the beer there,” Keith offered with a shrug, and Shiro’s eyes widened. Then he noticed Keith fail to bite back his smirk and Shiro rolled his eyes. 

“Sorry that I’m trying to be a _concerned guardian_ , Keith,” Shiro said, shaking his head and smiling. Keith leaned against the fridge, opposite of where Shiro was, and held onto the strap of his bag.

“They’re having a movie night at Hunk’s place and asked if I wanted to come. Apparently they do this every Saturday.” Keith explained. Shiro continued to smile. He was really happy for Keith. These seemed like good friends, good _people_ , and Shiro didn’t want to be the only one who knew just how great of a kid Keith was. Then Shiro pushed off the counter, reaching over to grab his keys.

“Do you need a ride, then?” Keith shook his head, not meeting Shiro’s eyes. Shiro watched him with interest. Were Keith’s cheeks even pinker now?

“Lance is actually giving me a ride there,” Keith said to the floor. “We’re picking up Pidge, too.” Shiro nodded his head, trying to suppress his knowing grin in case Keith looked up and caught him. He adjusted the way his arms were crossed against his chest, feeling the metal slide against skin.

“Okay. I’ll see you when you get back, then,” Shiro said, and then Keith’s phone buzzed. Keith quickly pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it, the blush that was now obvious spreading across his face.

“Lance is outside,” Keith explained, adjusting the strap on his bag and running a hand through his hair, pushing the longer locks away from his face. 

“Have fun, Keith,” Shiro said. Keith gave a nod of his head, a small smile tugging at his lips, and headed for the apartment door. “And Keith?” Keith stopped, turning around to give Shiro a questioning look. “Thanks for helping me with the Black Lion today. I really appreciated it.” Keith smiled and nodded his head again.

“Thanks for introducing me,” Keith said. Then Shiro watched as Keith opened the door and slipped outside. He could hear voices outside the window, one voice that was very excited and bubbly and _had_ to be Lance, and Shiro scoffed.

“Young love,” he said to himself, and he felt Kosmo nuzzle against his hand, appearing out of nowhere. Shiro laughed and scratched under Kosmo’s chin, hearing his tail thump on the tiled floor.

Shiro could spot the street sign for Altea Drive in the distance, and he shook the memory away, adjusting his helmet and making sure that his visor covered as much of his face as possible. It wasn’t that he didn’t _trust_ Pilot, but - 

Actually, Shiro definitely didn’t trust him. Pilot seemed like a good guy, but all Shiro knew about him was what car he drove, that he had a crew, and that he was good at racing. That wasn’t really much to go off of. 

So he had to keep his guard up, and expect that anything could happen. Because it’s when he went into things recklessly that he would mess things up. That’s something he learned from experience. He clenched his prosthetic arm into a fist, seeing the way the moonlight reflected off the metal pieces, and then he walked past the street sign and onto Altea Drive. 

The night was quiet, peaceful, even. No races tonight meant that the street was empty and dark. As he walked farther down the street, passing the empty houses that he couldn’t help but feel were watching him, he could see the dark orange Chevy. Then spotted a figure leaning against the side of the hood. Shiro continued on and once his eyes were more adjusted to the dark he could see Pilot, his arms crossed and shoulders relaxed. He was looking up at the sky, and Shiro could just make out the soft smile that was on his lips. Pilot had decided to ditch the jacket today, and was just wearing a white t-shirt. Shiro could see the biceps on his arms, his tanned skin. Heat began to rise in Shiro’s cheeks and he adjusted his helmet once more, pushing it further down on his head. Pilot seemed to notice the movement and turned to look at him, a grin spreading across his face when he saw who it was. He gave Shiro a wave, pushing off the car and walking up to meet him in the middle of the street, the street lamps providing them a little bit of light.

“I wasn’t sure if you would come,” Pilot confessed, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck and giving Shiro a shy smile. Shiro could feel his heart beat a little faster as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket and cleared his throat.

“Yeah, uh, I wasn’t sure if I was coming either,” Shiro confessed, and that made Pilot grin even wider.

“Well, I’m glad that you did.” Silence settled over them, but it didn’t feel tense, or awkward. Shiro thought it felt almost comfortable. Then he noticed Pilot watching him with interest.

“What?” Shiro asked, looking down at himself to see what was wrong. 

“You’re just -” Pilot began, but then he shook his head, grinning again. “Let’s go.” He began to walk towards his car, and Shiro’s eyes widened as he followed.

“Go?” Shiro asked, and Adam opened the passenger’s side door and gestured for Shiro to get inside.

“I thought we’d go for a ride.” Shiro looked at Pilot in surprise, watched as he waited for Shiro expectantly, and shook his head.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” If Pilot was disappointed he didn’t let it show. Instead, he straightened up, putting a hand on his hip.

“It’s like you don’t _trust_ me,” Pilot said, placing a hand against his chest. 

“I mean, you _are_ some disguised stranger,” Shiro pointed out.

“ _You’re_ a disguised stranger, and I trust you just fine,” Pilot argued. Shiro scoffed.

“Do you think that the Nigerian princes who email you for help are real too?” Pilot laughed, dropping the hand that was on his chest. 

“Fine, don’t trust me. But you should go for a drive with me.” Pilot fixed his goggles. “You have to understand - I was, like, your biggest fan when I was younger. This is a dream fulfillment moment for me.” Shiro crossed his arms, unconvinced. Pilot let out an offended gasp. “Are you really going to kill my dream fulfillment moment?” Shiro narrowed his eyes, watching as Pilot practically pouted next to his car, and then he let out a sigh, dropping his arms and walking up to the car door. 

“Fine. One ride. But no autographs,” Shiro said, stopping by the open door and taking a look inside. The interior was all black, and it looked like all of the original buttons and switches had been replaced by very advanced tech. He’d hate to admit it, but he was impressed. Shiro had made the Black Lion fast, but he wasn’t sure he had the computer savvy to do all of this. He wasn’t sure if Allura or Coran did, either. Then he looked up and saw Pilot’s face only inches from his own. He was slightly taller than Shiro, by an inch or two, and his smile was practically blinding. Being this close he could see the freckles on Pilot’s nose, the dimple in his left cheek. Even with the goggles and aviator hat on, Shiro could tell that Pilot was handsome. 

“Like what you see?” Pilot said with a grin, and Shiro could feel his whole face heat up. Then he saw Pilot look at the interior of his car and realized what he meant. Shiro quickly bent down and moved to sit, looking at the driver’s side and refusing to let Pilot see his face.

“It’s alright,” Shiro offered, and Pilot tapped the top of the car door.

“I’ll take it,” he said with a grin, closing Shiro’s door. A moment later the driver’s side door opened and Pilot slipped inside, putting his hands on the wheel. Shiro could feel his excitement. Then Pilot turned to face him. “So I was thinking we could go a few times down the road and back? You can see for yourself how fast this baby can go.” Liquid cold dread filled Shiro’s body and he clenched and unclenched the hand of his prosthetic arm that was hidden under a black glove like it always was when he went to Altea Drive. He took a shaky breath.

“Maybe we could just drive at a normal speed limit?” Shiro asked, his breathing already beginning to sound uneven, like his chest was an engine that just couldn’t start right. 

 _I can’t do this. I can’t do this this was a terrible idea I should just -_  

“You’re the boss,” Pilot said easily, putting the car in drive and beginning to cruise down the road at a normal speed, maybe even a little slower than normal. Shiro leaned back in his seat and took a deep breath, beginning to relax again. He hadn’t expected to react like that, but he should’ve known. This was his first time being in a street car for - a while. _Five years_. 

“Smooth as glass, right?” Pilot asked, and Shiro was brought back to the present. Pilot tapped his fingers against the wheel as they drove past the dark houses and down the long road. “Driving her is like driving on a dream. La - _Blue_ ,” Pilot said, clearing his throat, “was the one who installed the right shocks that made the suspension a lot smoother. He’s always able to find the best stuff at Alfor’s.”

“You know, it’s not that common to have a crew, let alone a three-person one,” Shiro said, and Pilot grinned. 

“Well, maybe it should be more common, since it seems to work really well for us.” Pilot paused, turning the wheel to head into one of the abandoned side streets of the empty residential area. “Didn’t you have someone helping you out?” Shiro shook his head.

“No, it was just me and the Black Lion,” Shiro said. Then he furrowed his brow, thinking about it further. “Actually, I guess that’s not entirely true. My dad gave me the Black Lion, when it was still a regular old Shelby Mustang. It used to be his.” Shiro looked at the open road, the streetlights in the distance like small stars on pavement. “He even helped me fix her up, for a short time, at least.” He thought about all of the lazy days when him and his dad would go into the garage and work on the car for hours. He remembered the hot summers when they would park the car outside and give it a wash, and how his dad would let him be in charge of hosing it down. Those were special memories. He’d never told anyone that the Black Lion used to be his dad’s. His eyes widened a little when he realized that. 

“Do you still have the Black Lion?” Pilot asked, and Shiro scoffed.

“Do you really think I would ever just give her up?” Pilot smiled.

“No, not really. So is Blade the new member of your crew, then?” Shiro laughed, and then he was thoughtful.

I guess he is,” he realized, thinking about how they spent the day washing down the Black Lion and giving her a good polish. “But he’s more like family. He’s like a younger brother.” Pilot nodded his head, hands steady on the wheel as he looked at the dark road ahead of him. 

“It’s a family business then,” Pilot reasoned, and Shiro laughed. 

“What about you? Your crew seems like younger siblings to me.” Pilot smiled.

“Not quite. I’m the youngest in my family, never had younger siblings.”

“How many siblings do you have?” Shiro asked, and Pilot stiffened as he made another turn. 

“It’s just me and my older sister,” Pilot said quietly. Shiro furrowed his brow.

“Didn’t you mention something about a brother -?” Shiro felt the mood shift into something more tense.

“My brother - he died, back when I was a senior in high school,” Pilot explained. “There was a drunk driver - hit and run.”

“Oh,” Shiro said, looking at his hands in his lap. “I’m sorry -”

“Hey, no need to apologize,” Pilot said, a smile on his face, but Shiro could tell that it was strained. 

“I lost my father. End of my sophomore year of college. It wasn’t as much of a surprise - we knew that he had a terminal illness for _years_ but -”

“Nothing makes it easier,” Pilot finished, and Shiro nodded his head, swallowing thickly. 

“Nothing makes it easier,” Shiro agreed, and he caught Pilot’s glance, the soft smile that was on his face. In that moment they looked at each other and understood. Then Pilot’s gaze shifted back to the road, and he pulled over to the curb, putting his car in park. 

“I still remember your race against Zarkon, you know, when he was still known as the Emperor,” Pilot began, shaking his head. “That race was _insane_ . My brother and I snuck out of the house to see that one, and it felt like the whole town was there. Mostly people were saying how you were a rookie, and that you had no chance. But then I saw your car, then I saw _you_ , and - and the way you were standing in front of the crowd? I knew that you were going to win.” Pilot smiled, shaking his head. “I just can’t believe that you challenged him.” Shiro smiled as well, leaning back in his seat and looking at the sky through the windshield.

“The day I challenged him was the day my dad told me about his illness,” Shiro explained. “I was seventeen and angry and confused and I saw Zarkon just standing there after his race and it just kind of - _happened_.” Shiro laughed. “It was the most reckless thing I ever did.”

“It paid off, though,” Pilot pointed out. “After Zarkon lost you became the new champion.” Shiro scoffed.

“I think that was partly due to the fact that Zarkon was caught by the cops for dealing drugs to minors and his street racer identity was revealed during the full investigation,” Shiro pointed out. 

“A life-time sentence,” Pilot said, shaking his head. “I heard that a few kids overdosed on whatever he gave them.” Shiro nodded his head, remembering hearing that from his dad. 

“And then the Paladin mysteriously disappeared and you became the new champion, filling a spot that had been left vacant for years.” Pilot hummed at that, his lips pressed into a line.

“I never really wanted to be the champion,” Pilot said quietly, and Shiro looked at him in interest. Pilot glanced at him and shifted in his seat, looking out the windshield. “It’s just something that I have to do. And once I don’t have to do it anymore I’m walking away.” 

“Just like that?” Pilot gave him a dry smile.

“That’s what you did, didn’t you?” Shiro furrowed his brow, looked at the paved road. 

“After my dad died I got more reckless. Partway through my junior year of college I took the Black Lion for a drive and I -” Shiro remembered the buzz of anger that seemed to race through his veins. He remembered how his hands shook and his vision blurred and he lost control of the wheel - “all I remembered was waking up in a hospital. Apparently my car hit a tree. I almost died. I-I wasn’t the same again.” Shiro felt a hand cover his own and he looked up, seeing Pilot facing him, leaning towards him. Shiro found himself counting the freckles on his nose, seeing brown hair peeking out of his hat and framing his face

“That’s okay,” Pilot said firmly, his hand still on top of Shiro’s. He looked away, and then met Shiro’s eyes again. It was more like their gazes collided, given how intensely Pilot was looking at Shiro. “It’s _okay_ that you’re not the same.” Shiro looked at Pilot with wide eyes, his lips parted open slightly in surprise. 

“But - but I was _better_ when I was the Paladin,’ Shiro found himself saying, his words coming out in almost a rush. “People looked up to me. I was doing everything right.” He furrowed his brow, feeling a burn in his throat. “Now all I ever do is disappoint people.” He remembered the look on Lance’s face when he suggested taking a look at Galra U. He remembered the conflict in Adam’s eyes when Shiro explained that those three needed to play things safe. He quickly wiped the heel of his palm, the one Pilot wasn’t holding, against his cheek, bumping his hand clumsily against his visor. He looked down at his lap. “All I can ever seem to do is the _wrong thing_ -” his words were cut off when he felt two strong arms wrap around his shoulders, pulling him in. He felt the worn leather of the aviator hat against his cheek and could smell cinnamon and soap.

“Hey, you needed to take it easy on yourself,” Pilot said quietly. “You’re doing your best. That’s all that anyone can ask for - that’s all that you can ask of yourself.” Pilot pulled away enough so that he could look into Shiro’s eyes. They were close enough that Shiro could somewhat see them through the darkened lenses of his goggles. “We’re not cars. You can’t just fix us and make us better. We need time, we change, we’re _human_ , and that’s more than okay.” Shiro looked at him with wide eyes, very much aware of how close they were. He looked down at Pilot’s lips, at the cut of his jaw, at the exposed part of his collarbone, suddenly struck with the urge to kiss all three. Pilot seemed to notice where Shiro’s attention had shifted, and Shiro could swear that Pilot was leaning in. Shiro found himself leaning in as well, his breath caught in his throat as his stomach swooped in anticipation. He felt Pilot’s hand slide from Shiro’s hand to his knee, and Shiro could feel his heart beating faster, Pilot’s lips now only inches away from his. He was overwhelmed by how badly he wanted this, and right before they connected his eyes fluttered closed.

Then the car horn sounded and Shiro’s eyes flew open as he quickly pulled away, looking to see Pilot’s elbow clumsily move away from the wheel. Pilot looked at the wheel with wide eyes, seeming to catch his breath, and then rubbed the back of his neck, finding it hard to meet Shiro’s eyes as a deep blush colored his cheeks.

“That was my bad,” Pilot said sheepishly, facing forward in his seat and clearing his throat. “I shouldn’t have - there’s this guy - I mean -.” He quickly cleared his through and turned on the car engine, pulling back into the street. He gave Shiro a quick glance before looking back at the road, a nervous smile on his face. “It’s getting late. We should head back.” Shiro swallowed thickly, looking at the place where Pilot had rested his hand on Shiro’s leg. He tried to ignore the way his whole face seemed to burn. He just hoped that it wasn’t as noticeable in the dark.  

“Yeah, you’re right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are enjoying this story! comment any predictions you have of where this will go if you want, I'd love to read them! <3


	4. Lap Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I consider the people who read this a little family and I appreciate all of you :) 
> 
> I know this fic doesn't have a lot of hits but I really really like this story and it's been a lot of fun to create this mystery for you guys so thank you for reading <33
> 
> Hope you like this chapter!

“I _told_ you Shiro, Iverson has it out for me -”

“I know that he’s strict, Keith, but you can’t let him get the best of you. He’s just waiting for an excuse to get you in trouble, and if you get something serious on your record -”

“I know. It’ll be that much harder to get into Altea Tech,” Keith said, slumping his shoulders. Shiro stopped where they were in the middle of the parking lot, away from the cars, and put a hand on Keith’s shoulder. 

“Remember what I always say.” Keith rolled his eyes.

“Patience yields focus.” Shiro squeezed his shoulder, then straightened up to put his hands on his hips.

“Exactly. Eyes on the finish line, Keith. You’re almost there.” A small smile tugged at the corner of Keith’s lips.

“You’re right, Shiro. Thanks.” 

“This is what you get for having a guidance counselor for a guardian.” Keith scoffed, adjusting the strap of his backpack on his shoulder and walking past Shiro to where his Subaru was parked. 

“Let’s go home.”

“Hey Keith! Wait up!” a voice called, and both Shiro and Keith turned to see Lance running towards them, weaving through students and in between parked cars. He almost got hit by a mom in a minivan picking up her kid, but he jumped out of the way just in time and made it to Shiro and Keith, a wide grin on his face. His hair was messy and he ran a hasty hand though it, taking a moment to catch his breath. Shiro turned to look at Keith and saw the slight blush on his cheeks as he watched Lance, holding on to his backpack strap.

“Uh, what’s up?” Keith asked warily, shifting his stance and playing with a longer strand of hair as he looked away from them both. That grin was still on Lance’s face. 

“I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my house? You know, to work on our project? Dr. Wadley has high expectations,” Lance said. “Oh, and Mami is cooking a big dinner tonight, so you can stay for dinner, too.” 

“Oh,” Keith said quietly, looking surprised. Then he let out an awkward cough and looked at Shiro. Shiro met his gaze and understood the question in Keith’s eyes.

“You can go to Lance’s,” Shiro said, giving Keith a knowing smile. Keith determinedly averted his gaze, moving to cross his arms as a blush formed on his face once more. Shiro looked at Lance. “When should I pick him up?”

“I can take him home, Mr. Shirogane,” Lance said. The grin hadn’t left his face once. Shiro smiled.

“That’s very nice of you, Lance.” Shiro took his keys out of his pocket and looked at Keith once more. “I’ll see you later, then. Don’t be out too late, it _is_ a school night.”

“Don’t worry about that, Mr. Shirogane,” Lance said. Then he looked at Keith. “Are you good to go? Do you have everything you need?” Keith nodded his head, walking past Shiro to stand next to Lance. Lance held out his fist. “Let’s give Dr. Wadley a project he’ll never forget.” Keith stared at Lance’s fist, hesitant, then he fought back his smile, tapping it with his own. Lance threw an arm around Keith’s shoulders and led him towards his car. Shiro gave Lance’s car a once over. It was a 1953 Plymouth Cranbrook, baby blue and definitely old. But it looked like Lance was taking good care of it. He watched as Lance opened the passenger’s side door for Keith, gesturing for Keith to take a seat. Keith slid his bag off his shoulder and stepped inside. Then Lance tapped the top of his car and went to get into the driver’s seat, looking excited. The engine rumbled to life and soon the car was pulling out of the parking lot, Lance rolling down the windows, turning up the radio, and laughing at something Keith must’ve said. 

“That’s quite the fond look you have on your face,” a voice observed, and Shiro blinked and turned to see Adam standing a few feet away from him, his briefcase in his hand and an amused smile on his lips. Today he was wearing a dark green sweater-vest with small plus signs stitched in with gray thread. Shiro watched as Adam looked over to see the Plymouth drive away. “Ah, I see. Keith and Lance are going to work on that project I gave them?” Shiro nodded his head and Adam turned back to look at Shiro. “I’m glad. Lance can be a pretty serious procrastinator when it comes to things he’s not interested in, but it looks like this one has gotten his attention.” Shiro scoffed.

“I think it’s gotten Keith’s attention, too,” Shiro said as Adam moved to stand next to him. They both watched as the students milled out of the school and towards their own cars. 

“So, how was your weekend?” Adam asked, and Shiro could feel his cheeks heat up. He cleared his throat, rubbing his hand against the metal of his arm. 

“Pretty uneventful,” Shiro said as casually as he could, trying not to think about how close he had been to Pilot’s lips, how he could feel the heat of his breath, how the soft glow from the console had lit up the angles of Pilot’s cheekbones - Shiro shook his head, giving Adam a smile. Yeah, he definitely couldn’t think about those things. Pilot liked someone else - or, at least, that’s what Shiro was able to piece together when Pilot mentioned another guy. “Yeah, not much went on, other than going to Alfor’s, but you knew that. What about you?” Adam looked at the grass and adjusted his glasses, letting out an awkward laugh. 

“Yeah, same for me. Had to grade some tests, send some emails, the normal, boring stuff.” Shiro nodded his head.

“We live the exciting lives of high school faculty members,” Shiro observed, and Adam laughed, turning his head to look at Shiro. 

“Do you think we should get hobbies?” Shiro thought it over.

“Reading my books at home with Kosmo is my hobby. I don’t think I could deal with anything more exciting than that.” Adam nodded his head in understanding. “What about you? You don’t have any hobbies?” Adam opened his mouth to answer, and then he stopped, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I guess I wouldn’t say _that_ -”

“Yo Adam!” a voice said, and Shiro looked to see Pidge and Hunk walking up to them, Pidge holding a laptop in her arms that she was opening and typing something into. Adam sighed.

“Pidge, we talked about this -” Pidge waved her hand, focused on her computer. The light from the screen reflected in her glasses. 

“I know, I know, _Doctor Wadley_ ,” Pidge said. “I just had something that I wanted to show you on my computer before you left. I needed your opinion before tonight -”

“What’s tonight?” Shiro asked, looking at Adam. It was then that Pidge seemed to realize that Shiro was there. She adjusted her hold on her laptop, hastily closing it and tucking it under her arm. 

“I’m submitting this assignment tonight, that’s all,” Pidge said easily. “It’s for our cooking class, right Hunk?” Hunk was playing with the front of his green vest when Pidge nudged his ribs. He quickly looked up, giving Shiro a sheepish smile.

“Y-yeah, our cooking assignment. Pidge is, uh, trying to pick a recipe for us,” Hunk began, rubbing the back of his neck. “Adam is actually a really good cook so I always like to get his advice.” He said that part a little more easily, and when Shiro looked at Adam he caught him bashfully adjusting his tie.

“So you _do_ have a hobby,” Shiro said, and Adam shrugged his shoulders.

“Hunk gives me more credit than I deserve -” Adam began. Hunk crossed his arms.

“He’s being modest, Mr. Shirogane. Everything I know about Cuban desserts I learned from Dr. Wadley. I know Lance is grateful for that.” Shiro looked at Adam expectantly, and he could see the blush on Adam’s face.

“My mom would teach me and my siblings some family recipes when I was growing up,” Adam explained. “Eventually my older siblings outgrew it, but I guess I never did.” Adam smiled. “That’s why I’m the favorite.” Shiro raised a brow, impressed.

“I’m a terrible cook,” Shiro confessed a moment later, rubbing the back of his neck. “All I can really manage is cereal and toast. Most of the time Keith and I get takeout, or our neighbor cooks for us. She thinks we’re both too thin.” He still remembered the first time Mrs. Han knocked on the door and Shiro looked down to see her holding a huge pot of stew in her arms, refusing to take no for an answer when she offered it.

“Just give me the pot when you’re finished, dear. Too thin,” Mrs. Han had said, shaking her head and heading back to her apartment. 

“You know,” Adam said, adjusting his grip on his briefcase and looking down at the grass again.“I know some pretty simple recipes that are good for beginners, the stuff my mom taught me when I was just starting to cook with her. Maybe this weekend I could -?”

“Pidge!” Hunk called out, quickly moving to grab her laptop before it fell to the pavement. “You shouldn’t be typing in the middle of the parking lot,” he chided. Pidge winced and gingerly took her laptop back from Hunk.

“Thanks, that was a close one.” She looked at Adam. “Can you help me with this? Hunk’s parents wanted him home to help with the shop and he’s kind of my ride.” Adam’s gaze shifted between Pidge and Shiro, looking like he wanted to say something. Then he sighed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Of course, Pidge. But let’s not do this in the parking lot, okay? We can head to my classroom.”

“Thanks, Adam. You’re going to love it,” Pidge assured him, a smug grin on her face. Adam gave her a tired smile. Then he looked at Shiro.

“Have fun with your books.”

“You have fun too, Master Chef,” Shiro teased, and Adam rolled his eyes, fighting back a small smile as he let Pidge lead him back into the building. Hunk gave Adam what looked like a sympathetic pat on the back, looking behind him to wave goodbye to Shiro. Shiro smiled and waved back, a little confused by what just happened. 

But he _did_ know one thing.

Adam was a good teacher. He always wanted to help. That was something Shiro could relate too, although it was increasingly obvious that Adam did a better job than he did. Shiro sighed and unlocked his Subaru, sliding into the passenger’s seat. He checked his watch. He would be early, but he didn’t have enough time to head back home, so he made his way to _Balmera’s_.

It was rude to be late for a meeting with the Princess of Altea Drive.

 

 

Shiro heard the tiny bell on the door ring as he stepped inside. He took a moment to enjoy the warmth and the smell of coffee beans. _Balmera’s Grounds_ \- _Balmera’s_ is what people in the area liked to call it - was a humble establishment. It was full of cozy booths, the walls were painted a nice forest green, and lights that looked like crystals hung from the ceiling. People came here to read, get work done, catch up with their friends, or just to grab a coffee that would get them through the rest of the day. Everyone in town loved _Balmera’s_. It was an irreplaceable part of the culture.

Much like Altea Drive was. Irreplaceable. 

“Mr. Shirogane!” a voice called, and Shiro looked to see a friendly face waving at him from behind the counter. She had her dark green uniform on, along with her brown baseball hat and her signature pair of hoop earrings. 

“Hello Shay,” Shiro said, walking up to the counter. He checked his watch. “You must’ve rushed over here after the last bell.” Shay blushed and rubbed the back of her neck.

“Rax needed me to cover for him and I’m trying to save up some cash, so -” Shiro nodded his head in understanding.

“Are you still filling out those college applications?” He asked, Shay nodded her head. 

“Only a few more left! I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but I think it’s going to work out,” Shay said, a tentative smile on her face. Shiro smiled back.

“That’s really good to hear, Shay. I can’t believe that you’ll be graduating this year.” Shay laughed.

“I can. I feel like I’ve been stuck in this hole that I need to get out of.” Her eyes widened. “Not that I don’t love it here! I love my job and my classes and my friends, but -”

“I get it,” Shiro said. “You’re growing up. It’s only natural to want something more, something different.” Shay gave him a sheepish smile, adjusting the stack of coffee cups that were next to her before putting her hands on her hips.

“Exactly, now what would you like, the usual?” Shiro nodded his head.

“That’d be great Shay, thanks.” He handed her his credit card and she slid it through the machine, waiting for the receipt to print. He slipped a twenty in the tip jar, trying to be discreet. Shay’s eyes widened. 

“Mr. Shirogane I think you accidentally put too much -” Shiro shook his head, signing her copy of the receipt.

“It’s for your college fund. Make sure to eat something other than ramen. I know it’s cheap but you’ll need to take care of yourself.” Shay continued to look at the twenty with wide eyes, and then she looked up at Shiro, a wide smile on her face.

“You’re the best, Mr. Shirogane!” Her gaze softened. “You’ve helped me out so much. I couldn’t have done all this without your advice.” Shiro smiled, but it didn’t feel as natural as the ones before. 

“That’s very nice of you to say.” Shay nodded her head and went over to the kettle to make Shiro’s order. Shiro looked around the coffee shop. It was pretty slow right now, but he knew that if he gave it an hour it would start to get busy with teachers, high school students coming from their after school clubs and sports, and the local college students who knew that they had a long night ahead of them, just like it always did. Shiro wasn’t sure if he’d consider himself a regular, but he liked to come here pretty often. It was quiet, peaceful, with enough people to make him feel grounded but not too many that he would feel overwhelmed. 

Shiro leaned his hands against the counter and smiled to himself. It was good that at least one student thought he was good at his job. Shay had made it easy, though. Her Common App was strong and she had done her FASFA all on her own. All Shiro did was help her decide on what schools she wanted to apply to. She was willing to apply to Galra U as a safety, and Shiro picked up on her desire to apply to schools farther out, so he proposed Oriande University. Shay had loved the idea, and although she wouldn’t admit it, since she didn’t want to get her hopes up, that was her top choice. And Shiro thought that it was the perfect fit for her, too. 

Then Shiro remembered his meeting with Lance, and how disappointed he looked by Shiro’s advice. 

These juniors had high expectations. Shiro was worried that he wouldn’t be able to help them get what they wanted. He wasn’t even sure how much he could help Keith, but he didn’t want to crush Keith’s hopes of going where his parents had taught. Altea Tech’s acceptance rate was just so _low_ , and it was so _expensive_ , Shiro just wasn’t sure how he was going to pull this off -

“Oh no,” a voice said, coming to stand next to him and nudge his shoulder. Shiro jumped a little in surprise and then looked over to see Allura smiling at him. She was wearing a simple pink dress and her hair was up in a bun. “You have that look on your face.” Shiro furrowed his brow.

“What look?”

“That, overthinking, being hard on yourself look,” Allura explained, shrugging her shoulders. “You used to have that look on your face a lot when we would talk about upgrading your car, when you thought that you weren’t doing enough to make the Black Lion the best she could be.”

Allura looked down at the counter, then back at Shiro. A small smile graced her lips. “It’s kind of nice to see, actually. Does that make me sound horrible?” Shiro laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“No, it doesn’t. I get it.” Then Shiro looked over at where Shay was standing by the coffee machine. “Hey Shay? Can you get Allura -?” Shay was already grabbing a mug, turning to smile at Allura.

“I’m already on it. I saw you walk in.”

“Thank you, Shay,” Allura said. They watched as Shay took the kettle off the heating plate and poured water into two mugs. Steam curled up towards the ceiling. Shay carefully picked both of them up and walked back to the counter, setting them in front of Shiro and Allura. 

“You two make it easy, having the same order,” Shay said, adjusting her hat. Allura handed over her credit card and put a twenty in the jar while Shay put the card in the machine, much like Shiro did. Shay let out an exasperated noise as the receipt printed, and Allura grabbed it and quickly put down her signature, handing it back. 

“You always make the best honey citrus mint tea, Shay. It just tastes different when you make it,” Allura said. Shay blushed.

“You know you’re some of the only people who order tea here. I think there’s only one other person -” Then Shay noticed that there was a customer waiting. “Sorry! I have to keep working! Enjoy your drinks!”

“Will do, Shay,” Shiro said, grabbing both mugs and allowing Allura to lead the way. She chose a small booth in the corner, by the window. They both sat down and Shiro carefully slid her mug towards her. She accepted it gratefully, lifting and dropping the tea bag a few times before letting it sit. She looked up at Shiro, her blue eyes catching the light from the crystals up above, making them look almost multicolored.

“So how’s the Black Lion, Shiro?” Allura asked, and Shiro laughed, steeping his own tea bag. He could smell the honey and lemon. 

“You’re always straight to the point, Allura,” Shiro observed, and Allura smiled, not disagreeing. Shiro shifted in his cushioned seat. “She’s good. Keith and I washed her down and gave her a polish. I’m going to put some sealer on her sometime this week.” Shiro paused. “And I was thinking of bringing her to you this weekend. You were right. I can’t keep hiding her away in my storage unit.” Allura’s eyes glittered with excitement, and she lifted her mug to her lips, blowing on it before taking a small sip and setting it back down. 

“I look forward to her arrival.” Then Allura straightened up in her seat. “But enough about that, I also want to know how your life is going, Shiro. How’s your job?” Shiro scoffed, looking down at his mug. 

“It’s okay. I’m starting to meet with more of the juniors, and there are some talented students, but I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to give them all that they want.” Allura nodded, holding her mug in her hands

“The college process can be ruthless. If I didn’t have the connections I did I doubt that I would’ve been able to get into Altea Tech.”

“No, you deserved that, Allura. You were top of your class, head of student council, you pretty much ran the local food bank - you didn’t just get in just because of your dad.” Allura smiled.

“Perhaps. But I was also very fortunate, I cannot deny that. Tell me about these students.” Shiro puffed out his cheeks.

“They’ve all become Keith’s friends, actually.” Allura listened intently, bringing the mug to her lips. “Hunk, Lance, and Pidge - they’re all in Adam’s astronomy club -” Allura choked on her tea and quickly set her mug down, coughing into the back of her wrist. Shiro’s eyes widened. “Are you okay?” He moved to stand but Allura waved him off. 

“I-I’m fine,” she said, coughing once more. Then she cleared her throat and looked at Shiro with an expression he couldn’t quite decipher. “So you and Adam are friends?” 

“Well, we work at the high school together, so we’re more like coworkers.” Shiro thought for a moment. “But I would consider us friends. We don’t really see each other outside of school though, except for this weekend at Alfor’s.” Allura bit her lip, and it almost looked like she was biting back a smile. She cleared her throat again and shifted in her seat.

“Right, I meant to ask. How was your weekend? Did you meet with Pilot?” She lowered her voice, looking around the room, but it was still relatively empty. Shiro could feel his cheeks burn and he moved his tea bag around in his mug. Allura grinned, sitting back in her seat. “I think I have my answer.” Shiro took a long sip of tea, avoiding her gaze. “Come on, don’t hold back on me,” Allura whined, reaching out to hold Shiro’s hand. “Did he take you for a drive?” Shiro met her gaze and saw how she raised her eyebrows suggestively. Shiro covered his face with the hand Allura wasn’t holding, looking around the café in embarrassment. People were beginning to trickle in - the rush was starting. He heard Allura gasp. “Did he make a move? Did _you_ make a move? Shiro please I _need_ to know -”

“Hey guys,” a familiar voice said, and both Allura and Shiro looked up to see Adam standing at their booth, the longer strap of his briefcase on his shoulder. He tapped her fingers against his thigh and smiled. Then he noticed that Allura was holding one of Shiro’s hands and his smile faltered. “Oh shoot, sorry. I should probably -”

“Adam!” Allura said, beaming at him. “We were just talking about you.” Then she looked at Shiro. “You know, about how you two work together?” Shiro nodded his head. 

“Oh yeah?” Adam asked, shifting on the balls of his feet. 

“Yes, and he was talking about how you two don’t spend enough time together outside of school. You two should fix that, don’t you think?” Allura continued to smile at Adam, and Shiro watched as he opened and closed his mouth to say something, obviously flustered. 

“You’re putting him on the spot here, Allura,” Shiro chided, looking at her. She put a hand on her chest, offended. 

“I’m just trying to help you make friends, Shiro. You spend all your time inside. You haven’t even spent time with _me_ in - in what feels like forever.” She pouted. Shiro rolled his eyes. He knew that Allura was trying to guilt-trip him. 

“Well, we’ll set something up soon, right Shiro?” Adam asked, adjusting his glasses and looking back at the counter. A line was forming. “I should go and put in my order before it gets too busy.”

“You should come sit with us!” Allura said. Adam shook his head quickly, and then he let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“I wish I could, but - I’m trying to get some exams graded before tonight -” his eyes widened. “Yeah, um, tonight I’m taking Atlas - my dog - to, uh, the park?” Allura hid a smile behind her hand, and Shiro looked at him in confusion.

“At night?” Adam’s gaze flicked over to meet Shiro’s, his eyes a little wide.

“Yeah! Uh, Atlas just loves going to the park at night. He’s weird,” Adam explained, clearing his throat and adjusting the strap on his shoulder. “So I should go. Have fun with your -” Adam looked between Allura and Shiro, glancing down at where they were holding hands once more. “Uh, see you guys later.” Adam quickly turned and headed over to the counter, walking up to Shay and putting in his order. 

“I saw you walk in. Here’s your tea. Green, like always.” Adam took it gratefully and handed over some money, putting a tip in the jar. 

“You’re a gem, Shay.” He looked back at Shiro once more, lifting his to-go cup in the air a little, and made his way out of the café. Something in his smile seemed, sad. Shiro furrowed his brow and turned to face Allura. 

“Did something seem - off, about Adam?” Allura nodded her head, seeming to think, and then she looked down to see that she was still holding Shiro’s hand. She quickly pulled away and her eyes widened in realization. 

“I’ve made a mistake,” Allura whispered, wincing. She looked out the window, and Shiro followed her gaze to see Adam already driving away in his Honda. “Shoot,” Allura said.

“What? What did you do?” Allura sighed and looked at Shiro.

“It’s - it’s fine. I’ll take care of it,” Allura explained. She picked up her mug and took a long sip of tea, seeming to think. Then her expression became more serious. “I should probably tell you that I didn’t ask you to meet me just so we could catch up.” Shiro raised his brow, taking a sip of tea as well. 

“Okay…?” Shiro said, waiting for her to continue. She took another deep breath, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Sometimes Shiro forgot how young she was. Only twenty-two and yet she was already running her own business with her Technology and Business degree from Altea Tech. She’d been forced to grow up so fast, what with losing her parents. Sometimes it seemed like she was thousands of years old. 

“I’ve found some information that could be linked to the death of Keith’s parents,” Allura said. Shiro’s hands tightened around his mug.

“Seriously?” Allura nodded her head, looking around the café before meeting Shiro’s gaze. 

“I did some digging after we talked at Alfor’s,” Allura explained, her voice quiet. Shiro found himself leaning in. “After Zarkon was arrested,”  she began, “there was an increase in car accidents.” Shiro felt his heart drop. He thought about the dark road, the way his hands shook, how the lights began to blur as he gripped the steering wheel.

“Like, like mine?” Shiro asked. Allura furrowed her brow.

“I’m not sure. It was hard finding details. But I found a trail of news reports of people crashing into trees, barriers, other cars -” Allura looked at Shiro. “The police usually wrote them off as drunk driving cases, but there was an unusual amount of them, and the drivers, the one’s who - survived - they _insisted_ that they hadn’t had anything to drink, and their BAC wasn’t above the legal limit when they were tested. They had no idea why they suddenly lost control.” Allura shook her head. “It’s all very strange.” Shiro thought that through for a moment.

“But what does this have to do with Keith’s parents?”

“After their - after the crash,” Allura began, “the trail stops. Suddenly. All of these accidents, all of these strange circumstances, and then - nothing.” Allura shook her head. “But it could be a coincidence. All of the other cases were young people, college age or right out of college. Keith’s parents were the only adults.” 

“It’s definitely something to look into,” Shiro assured her. “Thank you, Allura.” Allura gave him a tired smile. 

“I remember meeting Firefighter and Marmora, when I was a child,” Allura said, looking out of the window. “They were so smart and determined and _fun_. But most importantly they were kind. They were always good to my father. And to me. It’s the least I can do.” She looked back at Shiro, a determination burning in her eyes. “I’m going to keep looking into this.” Shiro nodded his head.

“And I will, too. Mostly so Keith will stop digging around on his own and putting himself in danger.” Allura laughed.

“I remember you used to have a rebellious streak, Shiro. Don’t forget that you were the one who challenged Zarkon.” Shiro pouted and crossed his arms.

“That was different.” Allura laughed again. Then her watch beeped and she looked down at the time. Her eyes widened. 

“I’m sorry, but I need to leave. Coran and I are interviewing a potential new employee today.” 

“No problem, Allura. I’m glad we could talk.” Allura smiled as she moved to stand, smoothing out her dress. She looked down at Shiro, and he could see the shine in her eyes.

“Me too, Shiro. We _must_ do this more often.”

“I promise we will.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Allura said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. Shiro smiled, nodding his head.

“Good luck with the interview.”

“Thank you. He has excellent recommendations, so I have a good feeling about it.” Allura pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Goodbye, Shiro.”

“See you soon, Allura.” Shiro watched as Allura left the café, heading towards her silver Audi in the parking lot. She caught his gaze and gave him a wave before unlocking her car and slipping into the passenger’s seat. He watched her drive away. Then he looked back at his mug, lifting it to his lips and taking a sip. It was starting to get cold. 

A string of car crashes. All written off as drunk drivers. But was that the truth? Shiro thought about his own crash. He definitely felt off, but it wasn’t because of alcohol, or drugs, or anything. It was his own fault. It was him being angry and reckless. There was no one else to blame. He wouldn’t allow himself to even _hope_ that there could be something else to blame. Because that kind of hope was dangerous.

But was it Keith’s parents’ fault too, for driving off the road? Or was it something more? He felt like he should tell Keith all that he learned, but he needed to find the most delicate way to go about it. He needed to get more information first. What if his parents’ death _was_ because one of them were drinking? That could destroy Keith, and Shiro wasn’t sure if he could do that to him. 

Then Shiro remembered something. 

_“There was a drunk driver - hit and run.”_

Shiro took a long sip of tea and then stood up, bringing his and Allura’s mugs up to the counter.

“Thanks for the tea, Shay,” Shiro said, heading for the door. 

“Of course, have a nice day, Shiro!” Shiro waved and went to the parking lot, getting into his Subaru and driving home. He looked at where his helmet was tucked under the passenger’s seat. He knew what he needed to do next.

He needed to talk to Pilot.

 

 

Pilot’s crew was a little more lively tonight. Shiro put his hands deep into the pockets of his bomber jacket and continued to walk towards them. They hadn’t noticed him yet. It was foggy tonight, not a good day for driving. 

“Come on, you invited him over your house.” As Shiro approached he could make out Green gesturing to Blue as she turned on her flashlight. “You definitely have a thing for him.”

“No I don’t!” Blue said, waving his arms for emphasis. “Hey, why are you looking at me like you don’t believe me?” Yellow shrugged from where he was sitting inside the car.

“I don’t know man, you’re always so happy to see him, and you’ve been spending a lot of time together ever since -”

“We’re just friends!” Blue protested. “Can’t I have friends other than you two?” Green laughed, shining the flashlight in Blue’s eyes before turning it towards the open hood of the car. 

“How do the petals feel?” Green asked. Yellow shifted.

“Perfect. And the updates you made to the console are really impressive.” Shiro could sense the smug smile on Green’s face.

“Of course they are.” Then Green straightened up, taking a step away from the hood to look at Blue. “You _can_ have other friends. And it’s okay if you have a crush on more than one person, too.” Yellow let out a low whistle and even in the fog Shiro could tell that Blue was blushing. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Blue said. Green scoffed, and then waved Yellow over. Yellow nodded his head and joined her under the hood, taking a look at the engine. Green walked up to Blue and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Maybe you can deny your feelings for a certain classmate,” Green said suggestively. Blue opened his mouth to protest, but Green stopped him. “But you can’t tell me that you don’t like Blade.”

“ _What?_ ” Blue yelled, his voice cracking a little. “ _No puedo creer esto,_ ” he said under his breath, running a hand through his hair. “He’s my rival!” That got a laugh out of Yellow, who quickly went back to working on the engine. It was then that Shiro realized that he’d probably heard too much, and cleared his throat awkwardly, walking up to their car. Blue saw him first, and his eyes widened. “Mierda,” he breathed. Green saw Shiro and bent down, looking under the car.

“Hey, uh, _Pilot_ , your boyfriend is here.” Shiro felt his cheeks heat up. He was about to argue, but given what he just heard he knew it would be pointless. He heard movement under the car and then Pilot appeared from the other side of the Chevy, wiping his hands on a small towel. He tucked the towel in the back pocket of his jeans and walked up to Shiro, looking at him in curiosity. Pilot was wearing a plain white t-shirt, a few grease stains lining the hem and collar. Shiro could tell that he was working hard - he saw the sweat on Pilot’s brow that he wiped away with a muscled arm. Locks of brown hair were peeking through his aviator hat. Shiro felt his blush deepen and swallowed.

“Uh, hey,” Shiro said. Something seemed off tonight. Pilot didn’t have that usual grin on his face. If anything he looked distracted, pensive. Shiro looked behind Pilot to see the three teens watching them. They all had varying degrees of sympathy on their faces. He wondered what that was all about.

“Hey? Are you, uh, looking for Blade again? Because he’s not here,” Pilot said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“But Blue _wishes_ he was - ow!” Green protested, rubbing the place where Blue had jabbed her in the ribs. 

“I actually came here to talk to you,” Shiro said, and Pilot looked at him with interest, less distracted now. Then he looked back at his crew. 

“We’ve got this covered, Pilot,” Yellow said, giving him a thumbs up. Pilot nodded his head, and then he started walking down the paved road of Altea Drive.

“Come on, let’s walk,” Pilot said, and Shiro followed to catch up with him, hands still in his pockets. There was something tense about the way Pilot walked, something faraway in his gaze as he looked up at the cloudy sky. 

“Are you okay?” Shiro asked. Pilot was still looking up, and he smiled. But Shiro could tell it wasn’t genuine. 

“I’m fine. Now what’s on your mind?” Shiro felt tempted to push him, to find out what was making Pilot look like that, but he decided to table it for now. He came here for information.

“The Princess told me -”

“You can call her Allura, it’s fine,” Pilot said with a smile, this one looking more real. “We’re good friends.” Shiro nodded. 

“I thought so, but I didn’t want to take any chances -”

“It’s not your secret identity to give away, I get it,” Pilot said. He waited for Shiro to continue. Shiro puffed out his cheeks, lacing the fingers of his gloved hands together as they walked. He needed to be careful about this. Giving too much information would give away Firefighter and Marmora’s identities - all people knew about Firefighter and Marmora was that they suddenly stopped racing - and then Pilot could be able to piece together who Blade is. Shiro trusted Pilot, but as Pilot said himself - it wasn’t Shiro’s secret identity to give away.

“Allura has been - well, she was doing some research and she found this strange pattern that happened a while back that she brought to my attention,” Shiro explained. “And I think - I think it could be connected to your brother’s accident.” Pilot quickly turned his head towards Shiro, stopping where they were in the middle of the abandoned street. He was still for a moment, and then he shook his head, continuing to walk.

“It was an accident, a hit-and-run by some scumbag -” Shiro moved to catch up with him.

“But you said that it was a drunk driver right? How did you know?” Pilot shrugged his shoulders, and Shiro could see that he was clenching his fists.

“Why else would a car lose control like that? I saw the skid marks myself -” Pilot stopped. “The police told me that it had to be a drunk driver.” They walked in silence for a few moments.

“You went to the scene?” Shiro asked. Pilot nodded his head, not looking at him. 

“He’d called me only an hour before,” Pilot explained. Then he let out a bitter laugh. “I was studying for a _stupid_ history test, so I put my phone on silent, but when I heard his voicemail I - I tracked his location through his phone and -” Pilot paused, expression grim. “I found him.” Shiro put a hand on Pilot’s shoulder, and Pilot attempted a smile. Shiro dropped his hand, and they walked in silence for a few moments.

“What did the voicemail say?” Shiro asked. Then he mentally slapped himself. “Sorry that’s personal -”

“No, it’s okay,” Pilot said. He took a breath. “My brother wanted to be a detective. He got his Criminal Justice degree at the Garrison, top of his class, and then he was going to grad school there through this very elite program,” Pilot stopped, looking like he was making a decision.

“He’d told me that he had a breakthrough in this investigation, one he was running in secret. His voicemail - his voicemail was about how he finally got the evidence that he needed, and that he was on his way to bring it to someone he’d been working with.” Pilot paused, looking thoughtful. “I haven’t told anyone that, especially not my family. I was worried that, if they knew - I just wanted them to have the closure they deserved.” Pilot said quietly. Shiro nodded his head.

“I understand.” Then Pilot looked at him. The cloudy sky was reflected in the lenses of his goggles.

“Why are you asking me all this? What did Allura tell you?” Shiro took a breath.

“Years ago there was an unusual number of car accidents,” Shiro explained. “But there was no real evidence that the accidents were caused by drunk drivers, it’s just what the police left it at. And the people who were accused of drunk driving claimed that they hadn’t taken anything. They didn’t know what made them lose control of their cars.” Pilot scoffed.

“Of course they wouldn’t _admit_ that they’re guilty,” Pilot said. Then he looked thoughtful. “But I do remember that the police checked the BAC of the driver - they eventually caught him - but it was totally normal. The police just said it was because it took a while for them to catch him, that it was probably out of his system because of time.”

“So do you think there’s anything here?” Shiro asked. Pilot stopped walking, and Shiro stopped as well. 

“Allura has good instincts. If she’s thinks there’s something off -” Pilot began. He bit his lip, thinking it over. Then he looked at Shiro. “Let’s head back. I trust my crew with my baby, but I don’t trust Green and Blue not to get into a fight while I’m gone.” Shiro nodded and they turned around, heading back. It was obvious that Pilot didn’t want to talk about the accident anymore.

“Thanks for talking with me. This has helped a lot.”

“Why are you so interested, anyway?” Pilot asked. Shiro thought of the best way to respond.

“There’s someone I care about, someone who lost two very important people. I want to find answers for them. And - I want answers myself,” Shiro said, looking at one of his gloved hands, the one made of metal and plastic.

“Well, I’m happy to help as best I can. I’m sorry that I couldn’t give you more,” Pilot said. That faraway look was back on his face. Shiro couldn’t see past those goggles, but he could sense a sadness in those eyes, a sadness that went further than talking about his brother.

“Hey,” Shiro said, putting a hand on Pilot’s chest and moving in front of him. Pilot stopped. “Did something happen? You seem off today.” Pilot laughed, but Shiro picked up on its bitterness. 

“I’ll be fine, Paladin,” was all Pilot said. Shiro furrowed his brow, watching Pilot through his visor.

“Was it - was it me? The other night -” Pilot laughed again, this time it sounded more genuine.

“No, it wasn’t,” Pilot shook his head. Then he sighed. “It’s dumb.”

“Your feelings aren’t dumb, Pilot,” Shiro said. Pilot looked at the ground before meeting Shiro’s eyes. Then he groaned, putting a hand on the top of his hat before letting it fall.

“There’s this guy I like,” Pilot admitted, and Shiro felt a twinge in his chest that he chose to ignore. “But he - he’s with someone else. Someone amazing.” Pilot scuffed his boot on the pavement. “I always knew that I didn’t have a chance, but seeing him with someone - it made it real.” Shiro thought that over for a few moments.

“That person is an idiot,” Shiro finally said, and Pilot’s head snapped up to meet his gaze. Shiro realized that his hand was still on Pilot’s chest, but he didn’t pull away. “He’s an idiot for not seeing you.” Pilot laughed quietly.

“He _can_ be an idiot,” Pilot said. “And too hard on himself, and so focused on other people’s happiness that he never even noticed all the times I tried to ask him out -” Pilot laughed, shaking his head. “But he was worth it, every time. He’s a good guy. And it’s annoying because even though he broke my heart I’m still rooting for him.” Shiro felt his heart beating quickly. The way Pilot talked about this person - so full of love and respect and tenderness - it made Shiro want to _be_ that person. It made him want to mend that broken heart that that guy had made. 

“You’re a good person, Pilot,” Shiro said softly. They were a few inches away from each other, Shiro’s hand still on his chest. He was warm, and Shiro’s eyes widened a fraction when he realized that Pilot’s heart was beating fast, too. He looked up to meet Pilot’s gaze, and then they heard yelling coming from the El Camino. They both turned towards the noise and could see a new figure arguing with Blue. Shiro recognized that black hoodie, and saw the glint of metal catch what little moonlight was peeking through the clouds. 

“Shit,” Shiro said, stepping away from Pilot. “We should probably shut that down.” Pilot nodded in agreement, and they both jogged down the road and towards the car.

“So where’s that knife you’ve been talking about, huh?” Blade asked, his free hand clenched in a fist as he held out his own knife for Blue to see. “Now tell me where the Paladin is. What did you do with him?”

“I told you man he just went on a walk with -”

“Bullshit. I don’t trust any of you!” Blade said through gritted teeth. His red bandana covered most of his face, so the only thing you could see were his violet eyes burning.

“Blade!” Shiro called, running to stand in front of him, putting his hands on his shoulders. “What are you doing?” he whispered harshly. Keith seemed to relax a little, but he still had his guard up.

“You came here without me!” Keith said. “I came home and you weren’t there. You just left that vague note about Altea Drive, about how we needed to talk -” Keith changed his grip on his knife, eyes still wild. “I thought you were in trouble! I thought you found the people who - who - any my parents - and I thought that they got _you_ and -” Blade’s breathing became uneven, and Shiro squeezed his shoulders. 

“Hey, deep breaths. You’re okay.” Shiro looked over his shoulder at Pilot and his crew. They were all watching with varying degrees of surprise on their faces. “I just came here to ask Pilot some questions,” Shiro explained, his voice quiet. “Allura came to me with some information, and I wanted to see if Pilot could back it up. Everything is fine.” Keith looked at him, his eyes still wide and his chest still heaving to take in air. 

“What did you have to tell me?” Keith asked. Shiro furrowed his brow. 

“Let’s put the knife away first, okay?” Keith looked at his knife, which he was still holding tightly in his hand. He looked like he’d forgotten it was there. He put it in the pocket of his hoodie. Then Shiro moved to stand next to Keith, a hand still on his shoulder as he faced the others. “This was my fault,” Shiro explained. “Please don’t blame Blade, he was worried about me.”

“ _Worried_? He was more than worried, I mean holy shit he -” Blue said, and Pilot nudged his shoulder, giving him a look. Blue closed his mouth.

“I think we all need to be more careful,” Pilot said. “Things might be getting, complicated.” He looked at Shiro. Shiro nodded his head in agreement. Then he looked down at Keith, raising a brow. Keith met his gaze and crossed his arms, kicking a small rock with his shoe.

“Sorry,” Keith mumbled. He looked at Blue. “Seriously.” Blue shrugged and looked away, crossing his own arms across his chest. It was hard to tell with the bandana, but Shiro thought he could see a blush forming on his cheeks.

“I told you he pulled a knife on me that night. None of you believed me -” Blue grumbled.

“I never _pulled_ my knife on you -” Keith argued, and Blue stuck out his tongue in the same moment Shiro shot Keith a look. 

“Let’s talk,” Shiro said, and that got Keith’s attention. He nodded his head, pulling his hood farther over his eyes and turning his back, heading away from the street. Shiro looked back at Pilot, who was already watching him. “Thank you,” Shiro said, and Pilot gave him a small smile. 

“Back at you, Paladin,” Pilot said, and Shiro knew what he meant. He felt his cheeks heat up and he nodded his head, turning to follow Keith. 

“I took my own car here,” Keith called, and Shiro watched as Keith walked up to his red Nissan 730z, unlocking it and opening the car door. Shiro could tell from here that Keith had made his own modifications, ones that hadn’t been there when Shiro had found it in his storage unit. He wondered when Keith had found the time to work on it. The headlights glowed yellow. One of the front tires had a retractable blade. Keith followed Shiro’s gaze and smirked. “There aren’t any rules against it.” Shiro would’ve pinched the bridge of his nose if his visor wasn’t in the way.

“Keith -”

“I’ll meet you back at the apartment,” Keith said, opening his car door and getting inside. He still seemed on edge. Shiro watched as Keith sped down the road, the engine roaring. He shook his head.

“ _He has his own car?"_  Shiro hear Blue protest. Shiro let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. He turned to give Pilot one last wave, seeing Pilot wave back through the fog, and then he headed to the side street where his Subaru was parked. 

The whole ride back he held the steering wheel tightly in his hands, trying to figure out what he was going to tell Keith.


	5. Lap Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a flashback broganes chapter that nobody asked for but I hope you like anyway lol.
> 
> it's also around 11k which makes this the longest chapter so far. writing this healed my soul a little, if you aren't able to tell.

Shiro was twelve when he first went to Altea Drive. But it wasn’t that he wanted to go see the street racing - he just wanted to get away from home. 

“Taka-chan,” his father had began, sitting him down at the kitchen table. The sun had already set and the house was quiet. “We need to talk about what happened at school today.” Shiro tugged at his sleeves, looking down at his lap. He’d been hoping that his parents would just leave it alone. 

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Shiro mumbled, shifting in his seat. He heard his father sit in the chair next to him. He refused to look up.

“The principal told me that you were on the roof.”

“Only for a few minutes!” Shiro protested, finally looking up to meet his gaze. His dad was young, only in his mid-thirties, but his hair was already completely silver. Shiro was told that it ran in the family. His father sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Why were you up there?” 

“Henry -” Shiro began, but then he stopped, furrowing his brow. Henry brought his father’s baseball from home, the one signed by some famous player that Henry’s father loved. They were playing catch and Henry threw it too high - “I just wanted to,” Shiro finished, avoiding his father’s gaze. It wasn’t exactly a lie. Shiro had seen the look on Henry’s face, the fear, and volunteered to get it back. He didn’t want Henry to get in trouble. And he didn’t want to risk telling his father that and having him call Henry’s dad. “It wasn’t a big deal.” He heard his father sigh again.

“Taka-chan, that was a very dangerous thing you did.” Shiro could see the worry lines between his brows. Shiro felt a pang of guilt, but he swallowed it down. 

“I was fine, I was being careful.”

“You could’ve gotten hurt. You need to make safer choices,” his father said firmly. Shiro watched as his dad looked down at his hands in his lap, threading his fingers together. “I won’t be around forever, and you need to know how to be responsible on your own. You need to be there for your mother too. You need to be dependable.”

“You make it sound like you’re going somewhere,” Shiro mumbled, crossing his arms. “Maybe I don’t want to be dependable.” He didn’t understand where all this was coming from. He didn’t understand why his father was looking at him like that. His back was bowed, his dark eyes a little duller than usual, and he kept looking down at his hands. Shiro wanted to yell at him to stop. Or have his father yell at him. He couldn’t take the quiet anymore. But his dad continued speaking in that quiet voice of his. Like each word was delicate and could break at any moment.

“Just - think about what I’ve told you, okay Taka-chan? Sometimes it’s better to take a step back and be careful about things. Patience yields -”

“Focus, I know!” Shiro said, moving to stand. “That’s all you ever tell me! But I don’t want to live a boring life like you and Mom!” Shiro regretted the words once he said them, and when he saw the look in his father’s eyes he regretted them even more. His father opened his mouth to say something, but then he closed it, smiling softly instead.

“I love you, Taka-chan.” Shiro’s eyes widened. “It’s okay if you’re angry. I understand that I’m asking a lot of you.” That soft smile was still on his father’s face. “I know that you’re going to be a great man, that you’ll make the right choices.” Shiro felt something tug and constrict in his gut, an unwanted feeling that spread through his body and made his throat burn. He didn’t want his father to look at him like that. It was _wrong_. He felt like he was standing in the kitchen with a ghost. 

“ _You don’t know that_ ,” Shiro said, turning and heading for the door. He needed to get away. He couldn’t look at his father’s smile any longer. Why did it _hurt_ so much? 

“Taka-chan!” his dad called, moving to stand.

“It’s Shiro!” Shiro yelled, refusing to look back. He flung the door open and went outside, feeling the hot summer air on his skin. “Takashi!” his father called, but Shiro had already grabbed his bike and started to petal down the road, feeling the breeze billow through his shirt. He petaled faster, leaving his neighborhood behind. His lungs began to burn but he ignored it, his legs straining to get him far away. 

He didn’t know how long he’d biked like that for, but eventually he began to hear cheering, and could see lights in the distance. It was then that he realized he was near Altea Drive.

His mother had warned him to stay away from that street, every time shaking her wooden spoon at him for emphasis, and until this point he had obeyed. But tonight was different. He didn’t want to be safe, he didn’t want to be dependable. He wanted to see Altea Drive for himself. He left his bike on a patch of grass near where the street began, and slowly walked towards the voices. 

He decided to climb up the small hill that bordered the right side of the road to get a good vantage point. It was away from the streetlights, and it seemed like no one had noticed him. But that was probably because everyone’s eyes were glued to the two cars racing down the street. It was a clear night, and the moon was full, and from where Shiro was standing he had the perfect view. 

One was a black Bugatti Chiron with purple rims and yellow headlights. The other was a Jaguar E-Type, painted a very dark purple with silver rims and white headlights. Silver flames licked and spread across its sides. Shiro remembered reading about both cars in those magazines he would swipe from the garage. His dad had always been into cars. His Mustang was like his second child. Shiro was only allowed to sit inside it once, for his birthday this past year. 

Little did he know that it would eventually become his.

Shiro eyes widened as he watched the race. He’d never seen cars drive so fast before. It was - well, it was beautiful. It was an image Shiro wouldn’t forget. He clenched his fists in anticipation as the Bugatti pulled ahead, nearing the finish line, racing down the pavement like it was black glass. He saw where the crowd was for waiting for the winner, becoming increasingly more excited. Then he looked back and saw the Jaguar find a final burst of speed, roaring as it passed the Bugatti and flew through the finish line, turning to come to a stop. There were skid marks on the pavement. Shiro was surprised there wasn’t smoke coming from the cars when they both stopped. 

He watched as the car doors opened. A huge man came out of the Bugatti, a purple helmet on his head and a darkened visor covering his face. He slammed the car door closed and loomed over the woman who had just gotten out of her own car. She was wearing a dark gray helmet with a purple visor covering her face. Shiro could see short, thick strands of dark purple hair peeking out of it. She stood her ground as the large man got in her face. Shiro could tell that they were arguing, but he had no idea what they were talking about, since he was too far away to hear. Then another, more average-sized man pushed through the crowd and moved to stand in between them. He was wearing a firefighter helmet with darkened plastic goggles. He put a hand on the woman’s back and led her away. The large man let out a frustrated yell and got in his car, driving off. The crowd began to disperse - the fun was over. 

Shiro moved father down the small hill to get a closer look at the Jaguar. It looked like they made some modifications to it, and Shiro wanted to know how they were able to give it that final burst of speed at the end. His dad would probably be geeking out if he was here -

Shiro stopped, his heart clenching painfully as he remembered how he ran out on him. He shook his head, moving to hide behind a bush near the car. No one noticed him in the shadows as they all left, laughing and talking loudly.

Shiro wondered if he should head back home. His parents were probably worried about him. He just wished that they understood. He wished that they didn’t expect so much from him. He sat there for a while, trying to sort out his thoughts, and then that he realized that Altea Drive had emptied out. The night was hot and quiet. He was about to stand up, trying to think about where he should go from here, but then he heard voices.

“I know we don’t do this for the money, but I can’t believe the Emperor drove off like that without giving us what he owed,” a woman’s voice said. She sounded irritated.

“Yeah, he was the one who challenged us,” a man’s voice agreed. Then there was a pause. “You looked amazing out there, though.”

“It was your upgrades that gave it the speed it needed,” the woman said fondly, and the man laughed.

“We make a good team, Marmora.” Shiro’s eyes widened. He’d heard that name before. Henry was talking about her the other day. She was the champion of Altea Drive. Shiro shifted carefully to get a look at the two figures talking. He spotted the man in the firefighter helmet. He had a good guess as to who that was. Shiro couldn’t believe that he was so close to them, that he had just seen them race. Very few people his age came here. He remembered all of those assemblies that him and his classmates had to sit through that were about the dangers of street racing, about how if the police found minors at Altea Drive there would be a heavy fine - but Shiro didn’t have to follow all the rules. His dad was all worked up over nothing. He could handle himself. Then he heard a cell phone ring. 

“Here, hold this,” the woman said, taking off her helmet and handing it over to Firefighter. Shiro couldn’t make out her face in the darkness. She dug her phone out of her pocket and held it up to her ear. “Hello?” There was silence for a few moments, and then Marmora cursed under her breath. 

“What?” Firefighter asked, concern in his voice. Marmora held up a finger, signaling him to wait. 

“Yes, okay. Okay June, that was a good idea. Is he in bed now? Good. Okay, we’re on our way home. It’s okay, we were heading back from date night anyway. Yes, thank you. Okay, bye.” Marmora hung up the phone. Firefighter took off his helmet as well. 

“Is everything okay? Did something happen -?” Firefighter asked, worry in his voice.

“We shouldn’t have left him,” Marmora said, shaking her head. She took a deep breath. “He’s sick. He’s been running a fever and asking where we are -” Marmora ran a hand through her hair. “He’s only _three_. Why did we think that this was a good idea -?”

“Hey,” Firefighter said, moving to hold her arms. “It’s okay. We’ll head back home now. He’ll be okay.”

“I know,” Marmora said quietly. Then she clenched her fists. “But this is it. We can’t do this anymore; I’m serious this time. I left him this one time - I’m never leaving him again. It’s not worth it.”

“I agree,” Firefighter said. “He’s more important than all this. Always.” He paused. “It was a good run, though.” 

“Yes, it was,” Marmora said softly. 

“You know I met the love of my life here?” Firefighter asked, and Marmora laughed.

“Yes, and she almost crashed her car into you.” Firefighter chuckled and they both moved towards the Jaguar. Shiro watched as they walked under one of the streetlights and he saw their faces. The man was handsome - all broad shoulders and stubble. He had a scar on his right eyebrow and messy black hair. The woman was quite striking as well. She was tall and lean, with cropped, dark purple hair, long locks of hair that fell around her eyes, and irises that looked almost violet. Shiro’s eyes widened as he watched them get in the car and drive off. Then he was alone, crouching behind the bush on Altea Drive. It didn’t feel real. It all happened so fast. 

He found his bike in the darkness and went home, the images of Marmora and Firefighter burned into the back of his mind. They had a kid, a three year old apparently. And they desperately wanted to go home to see him. He could hear the love in their voices. That’s what really got to Shiro. The fondness. The worry. The sacrifice.

The moment he was back home he found his dad sitting in his favorite chair and went to hug him, apologizing for running out on him like that. It was only years later that Shiro realized that his dad had been waiting up for him, and that he’d forgiven him before Shiro even left through the door.

Shiro left his father once, but he wasn’t going to do it again. And he didn’t. 

It was his dad who left, in the end. 

 

* * *

 

Shiro was 22 when he first met Keith. 

It was Shiro’s first day at the high school. He was on his lunch break and decided to tour around the building to get a better sense of what it was like during the school day. It was when he was in the library that he spotted a small kid with messy black hair trying to shove a book inside his red hoodie. Shiro watched him in confusion, trying to remember if he’d ever seen someone trying to steal a library book before, and then he walked up behind him. 

“The astronomy section, huh?” Shiro asked. The kid flinched and quickly spun around to face him. He looked jumpy, eyes darting towards the exit behind Shiro. Shiro wondered how old he was - he seemed a little too young to be in high school. Then the kid’s violet eyes met Shiro’s and they narrowed as he hugged his hoodie closer to his chest.

“Yeah, why do you care?” the kid asked, tilting up his chin. Shiro tried not to smile. Then he noticed the group of equally smaller kids wandering towards the main desk, being led by a teacher he didn’t recognize. None of them were wearing the school uniform. They looked like they were barely in their teens. That’s when Shiro remembered Dora telling him about the tours that were happening today. 

“My name’s Shiro,” he said, giving the kid a friendly smile and holding out his hand. The kid looked at him suspiciously.

“I thought adults went by their last names,” the boy said. Shiro laughed.

“I usually go by Mr. Shirogane, but I think that I can make an exception for you. Could I know your name, since I told you mine?” The kid continued to look at Shiro with a mix of suspicion and confusion, and then he looked down at Shiro’s still-extended hand and his eyes widened. 

“What happened to you?” the kid asked, staring at the metal and plastic. Shiro’s smile faltered and he dropped his hand to his side. 

“Ah, yeah, that’s a secret,” Shiro said, and the kid pouted. Shiro felt a flash of amusement and leaned his hip against the bookshelf, crossing his arms. “So, are you going to be a student here next year?” The kid shrugged his shoulders, tugging at a longer strand of hair while he kept his other arm firmly across his torso, holding the hidden book in place. 

“If I’m still around.” Shiro tilted his head at that. 

“Is your family thinking about moving?” Shiro noticed the kid flinch when he said ‘family’. Then the boy scuffed his shoe against the dark purple carpet, looking at the ground. Shiro furrowed his brow. He looked behind the boy to see the books covered in stars and pictures of astronauts and different moons. “Do you think there’s life on other planets?” The boy’s head snapped up to look at Shiro once more. He opened his mouth, a spark in his eyes that Shiro was seeing for the first time, and then he stopped, closing his mouth and furrowing his brow. Shiro felt a flash of disappointment, but he hadn’t given up yet. “I think there’s aliens out there, somewhere,” Shiro continued, trying to sound casual as he watched every shift in the boy’s expression from the corner of his eye. He was interested, then hesitant, then neutral, like he had trained himself to make that change a million times. “When I was younger I wanted to fly to outer space. I wanted to be the first astronaut on some far away moon.” Shiro smiled as he remembered all the times he dressed up as an astronaut for Halloween, all the times he made his own spaceship out of cardboard boxes. His dad would always play along, and his mom would always watch, exasperated but happy. That felt like a forever ago. Shiro tightened his arms around his chest, meeting Keith’s wide eyes. “I wanted to build a house there, to name a crater and have it be completely mine.”

“Do you still want to?” the boy asked. Inch by inch his guard was going down, but he was still untrusting, careful. That was okay. Shiro shook his head. 

“I realized that a house and a home were two different things. Living on a moon would be lonely with no one to share it with,” Shiro explained, and he watched as the boy held on to his sweatshirt tightly, listening to every word with a furrowed brow. 

“That’s dumb,” the boy said, and Shiro laughed, which took the boy by surprise. 

“Yeah, maybe it is.”

“So you live in a home, then?” the boy asked. Shiro rubbed the back of his neck.

“I mean, I live in an apartment -” The boy shook his head.

“I didn’t ask about a house. I asked about a _home_ ,” he explained. “With - with people you like.” He looked back at the books, shifting his stance and worrying at his lip. “Did you find someone to share with?” Shiro’s eyes widened, and he felt like some of the oxygen left his lungs. Then he let out a laugh that he knew sounded fake and put his hands on his hips.

“Not yet, I guess. I mean, I used to -” Shiro shook his head. “Maybe I’ll just find some moon aliens to live with.” He spotted the flicker of a smile on the boy’s lips, and then the boy frowned again.

“Are you going to tell my teacher?” the boy asked, and Shiro looked at him in confusion. The boy rolled his eyes. “You know, that I’m trying to take this book?” He motioned to his sweatshirt. Shiro let out a short laugh, shaking his head.

“No, I won’t. You’re going to have to put it back, though.” The boy’s shoulders slumped. Shiro watched him in curiosity. “Hey,” he said, moving away from the shelf and taking a step towards the boy. The kid looked at him warily, muscles tensed and ready to bolt. Shiro wondered why. Then Shiro reached into his pocket and pulled out a small square of thick paper. He was lucky he’d just gotten these printed this morning. “This is my name and number. If you don’t end up moving, I’d be happy to give you advice or answer your questions.” He paused. “I’ll even help you if you do move. We space lovers have to stick together, right?” The boy looked at the card in Shiro’s hand, looking unsure, and then his eyes flicked up to meet Shiro’s. A long moment later he reached out to take it, putting it in the pocket of his hoodie. Then he unzipped his hoodie and removed the book, holding it gingerly in his hands as he looked at the cover. It was a book on constellations. Shiro watched him, and then he realized something. “You know, you’re the first friend I’ve made today.” The boy’s eyes narrowed.

“That’s sad.” Shiro laughed. This kid was honest, that was for sure. Then the teacher he spotted earlier hurried over to him, looking apologetic.

“Sorry, he always sneaks off and goes where he’s not supposed to,” the teacher explained, giving the boy a hard look. She saw the book in his hands. “Were you trying to steal that?” she accused, her tone impatient and angry. The boy narrowed his eyes back at her. 

“It’s okay, ma’am, he was just interested. We’ve got a pretty great selection here,” Shiro said warmly, giving her a smile. She blushed, her whole posture changing. Shiro caught the kid rolling his eyes.

“I’m sorry, young man, it’s just that he tends to be our problem child,” the teacher whispered, but it was obvious that the boy could hear her. He buried his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, frowning and averting his gaze.

“I don’t see any problems at all, just someone who wants to learn. He seems like a perfect fit for this school,” Shiro said, looking at the boy. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, but it came as quickly as it went. 

“You can take him,” the teacher said with a scoff, and Shiro looked at her, furrowing his brows.

“Maybe I _do_ see a problem child,” he decided, looking at her with a pointed expression. She seemed to get his meaning and flushed in embarrassment. He heard a short laugh and looked to see the boy covering his mouth with his hand, his eyes flashing in amusement. Shiro smiled. 

“You should join your class,” he said, nodding towards where the kids were crowding around the exit door, talking excitedly. The boy followed his gaze, looking unenthusiastic. “Don’t lose that card, okay? It’s the first one I’ve given out, so it’s special. I had to go all the way to the post office to get that printed.” The boy rolled his eyes again, the beginnings of a smile on his lips, and then he ducked his head and walked over to join his class. Shiro looked back at the teacher. “Those are your eighth graders, right? From the middle school?” The teacher nodded her head, still looking flustered and a little irritated. “It must take a lot of work. That’s a complicated age, but it’s good to know that there are hard-working teachers like yourself making sure that every student gets the care, attention, and patience that they deserve, don’t you think?” She could hear the venom in his honeyed words, and she swallowed thickly. She smoothed out her dress, lifting up her chin. She had to be at least two decades older than Shiro, but she looked like a kid who’d just gotten in trouble.

“Keith is a foster kid, so he’s a little more than complicated,” the teacher sniffed. “He’s run away from five homes already. He makes it his mission to ignore every one of my instructions - he’s one more slip up away from getting taken in by the police - so excuse me if my patience has worn thin.” Shiro’s eyes widened at the mention of foster care, but then they quickly narrowed. He took a deep breath, and then he smiled. 

“You know, I want to thank you,” Shiro said, and the teacher’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “This is my first day here. I’m the new guidance counselor. And today I learned exactly how _not_ to treat my students.” Shiro paused, pretending to think something over. “Well, I guess I always knew how not to treat my students, since it’s obvious, but you really drove the point home, _ma’am_.” Shiro continued to smile. “Now, it looks like your students are waiting for you. I hope that they enjoy the tour and I can’t wait for some of them to become my new students.” The teacher looked at him in shock, opening and closing her mouth, and then she mumbled something under her breath and stalked off towards her students, telling them to start moving as she led them out of the library. The librarian at the main desk watched her go in confusion, looking back at Shiro. He smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

 _No coffee this morning_ , he mouthed, and the librarian nodded her head in understanding, returning to her computer. Then Shiro felt a pair of eyes on him and saw the boy - Keith - looking at him as he followed his class out of the library. His expression was hard to read. Then he raised something up for Shiro to see. It was the book he’d been trying to smuggle under his hoodie, the one covered in constellations. He stuck his tongue out at Shiro and turned, exiting through the door. Shiro watched him go in surprise, about to yell out some kind of protest, but then he stopped himself. He chuckled softly, shaking his head. That kid was something else. 

Then he thought about what that horrible teacher had told him. Keith was in the foster care system. He had a bit of a rebellious streak. He kept running away.

It wasn’t exactly the same, but he reminded Shiro a little of himself. He looked at his hand, the one Keith had looked at with wide eyes. He was still getting used to it. He’d only had the new arm for about a year now, and whenever he saw the metal and plastic it reminded him of all that he’d lost. His dad was the one who looked out for him, in that supportive, warm, nonjudgemental way that he needed, and after Shiro lost him, well, he lost himself.

But maybe he could help Keith. Maybe he didn’t have to go down the same road. Maybe he could stop him from crashing. Like he had.  

 

* * *

 

Shiro had just turned 23 when he got a call from Keith. It was 2am when he heard his phone ring. He hadn’t been sleeping, it was one of those nights where his thoughts were just too big for his head, so he reached over to pick up his phone from the table and got up from the couch. It wasn’t a number he recognized. He was tempted to just ignore it, but something was nagging at him to answer. 

“Uh, hello?” Shiro asked. There was no response, but he swore he could hear some movement on the other end. He was about to hang up, figuring it was just a prank call, but then he heard someone answer.

“Is this Shiro?” the voice asked, and it sounded like they were speaking through gritted teeth. Shiro couldn’t quite place where he’d heard this voice before, but it sounded vaguely familiar. “I-I need your help.” Shiro’s eyes widened slightly at that. Something sounded off. He found himself walking over to his front door and picking up his keys without really thinking about it. 

“Who is this?” Shiro asked, shrugging on his coat. There was quiet for another moment, like the person on the other end was debating if they should answer.

“Keith,” the voice said, and Shiro’s eyes widened further. He opened the door and left his apartment, walking down the stairs to get to the garage. “This was a bad idea,” Keith said when Shiro didn’t respond. He sounded like he was in pain. Shiro hurried his pace, reaching the garage. He unlocked his car and got in the front seat of his Subaru.

“No,” Shiro said quickly, desperate to keep Keith on the phone. “No, I’m glad that you called me. I gave you my number for a reason.” Shiro ran a hand through his hair, trying to think this through. “Where are you?” Silence for a long moment. Shiro thought he could hear crickets. “Keith, please, tell me where you are.” He heard a hiss of pain and then an exhale.

“I’m by the lake,” Keith said. Shiro nodded his head in the darkness, turning on his car engine. 

“Okay, I’m on my way there. Stay put, okay?” He heard a bitter laugh on the other end of the phone.

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” Keith said, and Shiro tightened his grip on the steering wheel, furrowing his brow in concern. Then he realized that Keith had hung up. He swore and quickly pulled out of the garage, turning on the dimly lit road. Thankfully the lake wasn’t far away. He picked up his speed as much as he dared, but he could feel his hands trembling as he clung to the wheel. He hadn’t driven at night since - Shiro shook his head and increased his speed, even though his heart was racing and panic was crawling its way up his throat. 

He was fine. He was careful. He was being safe. He wouldn’t crash. 

Not when this kid needed him.

 

 

He parked his car by the side of the lake and turned on the flashlight on his phone, making his way through the darkness. 

“Keith?” Shiro whispered, his eyes straining to adjust to the blackness. He heard movement from his left and began making his way in that direction, wary and on guard. He knew that there was a group of teenagers who liked to frequent here, who smoked or drank and tried to pull off stupid stunts. The police haven’t been able to catch them, though. Most of them were too busy watching the races at Altea Drive, wearing their masks and slipping off their responsibility. “ _Keith_ ,” Shiro said, a little louder this time. Movement again.

“Here,” a voice said, letting out a wince of pain right after. Shiro hurried over to find Keith lying in the grass, clutching his side. Shiro kneeled down. “Hey, watch the flashlight,”  Keith said, shielding his eyes.

“Sorry.” Shiro set his phone down with the flashlight still on, so the two of them were covered in a dim glow. He looked Keith over. He was holding on to his side, his breathing slightly uneven. He was soaked, his hair wet and dripping. He had a nasty black eye. Then Shiro saw what Keith was holding in his free hand and his eyes blew wide. “Why do you have a knife?” Shiro asked, his tone shrill. Keith had the audacity to roll his eyes.

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Shiro felt a stab of guilt.

“I’m worried about a lot of things here, Keith,” Shiro said, shifting into a sitting position. He wanted to reach out, to inspect Keith’s injuries, but he knew Keith wouldn’t like that so he decided to give him space, for now. “What happened?” Keith sighed and moved to sit up. Shiro reached out to help him, but Keith shot him a glare so he put his hands in his lap. Keith furrowed his brow, like he was trying to think.

“A-a few older kids they -,” Keith explained slowly, his eyes narrowing as he looked out at the lake, looking like he was trying to remember. The lake was still and black. There was no moon tonight. Shiro looked at the knife once more. 

“It’s okay, I think I can piece it together,” Shiro said. Keith scoffed, and even in the dim light Shiro could see the pain in his eyes, how his expression wavered slightly. Shiro looked out at the lake as well, then back at Keith’s hair, seeing how his wet locks clung to his face. His eyes widened in realization.

“Did they put you in the lake? Did they -?” Keith’s shift in expression said it all. A flash of anger sparked in Shiro’s chest, and he clenched his fists. 

“Tell me your injuries,” Shiro said firmly, and Keith looked at him in surprise. Then he sighed.

“I think the black eye is obvious,” Keith began, his tone dry. Then he looked down at where he was clutching his side. “I think something’s wrong with my ribs, too.” He paused for a second, furrowing his brow. “And - and my head,” Keith admitted, and Shiro noticed how his eyes looked a little glassier than they should. Keith tightened his grip on his knife, his breathing becoming more uneven.

“Hey,” Shiro said, daring to put a hand on his shoulder. Keith continued to hold his head, looking a little more unsteady than he did a moment before. “Keith, _Keith_ , listen to me, okay?” Shiro furrowed his brow in concern. Then he grabbed his phone. “I’m going to take you to the hospital, okay?”

“No!” Keith said, pulling away from Shiro and shaking his head. “No, I can’t go there.”

“Keith -”

“Take me there and I’ll never trust you again!” Keith said, panic in his eyes as he clutched the grass. Shiro had already opened his mouth to protest, but when he heard that he stopped. Keith caught his expression and Shiro saw a flash of guilt behind his eyes. “ _Please_ , Shiro. I called you because - because I knew that you were the only person who would help me.” Keith held his head again, letting out a wince of pain. He swore under his breath.

“Let’s get you to my car, okay?” Shiro said, moving his arm under Keith’s and around his shoulders. Keith didn’t resist, but he didn’t let go of his knife either. Shiro could feel him trembling slightly as he lifted him to his feet. 

“Don’t take me to the hospital,” Keith insisted, but he sounded dazed. Worry tightened in Shiro’s chest. He needed to get him out of here, now. He needed help.

“It’s okay, Keith. I’ve got you,” Shiro said. “You can trust me.”

“Dad?” Keith asked, and Shiro turned his head to see Keith looking at him in confusion, his brows knitted together. Keith shook his head slightly. “You look kind of like my dad.” He seemed like he was thinking hard about something. “The lake - that’s where - where’s my dad?” Shiro saw the lost expression on his face.

“Come on, Keith, let’s get moving.” He began to lead Keith towards his car, pulling his keys out of his pocket and unlocking it.

“Where is he? He - you said you’d be back,” Keith said. Then Shiro felt Keith go limp in his arms.

“Keith!” Shiro said, but Keith was unconscious. He swore under his breath and managed to get Keith buckled into the passenger’s seat. He drove back to his apartment, his hand on Keith’s shoulder the whole time, keeping him stable and upright. 

It was the fastest he’d driven in a while.

 

 

“He has a mild concussion, and a few bruised ribs,” Dr. Han explained. He looked tired, but he gave Shiro a small smile. “He’ll be fine.” Shiro ran both hands through his hair, hunching forward in his seat at the kitchen table. He looked over to see Keith sleeping on his couch, covered in the blanket Shiro had brought out of the closet earlier. 

“Thank you, Dr. Han. I owe you one. How much should I -?” Dr. Han raised a hand to stop him.

“You know that I’m not going to let you pay me, Shiro.” Then he looked over at Keith as well. “Is he a relative of yours?” Shiro shook his head.

“No.” Then he let out a dry laugh. “We’ve only met once, actually, before tonight.” If Dr. Han was surprised he didn’t let it show. “He’s in foster care,” Shiro explained after a moment, and Dr. Han nodded his head in understanding. Then that small smile of his was back on his face.

“You’re a good person, Shiro,” Dr. Han said, and Shiro looked at him in surprise. “It’s good that he has someone like you to depend on.”

Depend on.

Shiro’s breath caught and he looked down at the ground, twining his fingers together.

“He’s so young, Dr. Han. I think he needs someone better than me to lean on.” Dr. Han seemed to consider that, and then he moved to sit next to Shiro, clasping his hands in front of him on the kitchen table. He was silent for a long moment, but it was a comfortable silence, one that reminded Shiro of his childhood.

“Chī yī qiàn, zhǎng yī zhì,” Dr. Han said quietly, and Shiro lifted his head to look at him, a question in his eyes. Dr. Han smiled. “You’re young too, Shiro. And yet I see your eyes and it’s like you’ve put the weight of the world on your shoulders. No one needs perfection. They just need someone who tries.” Dr. Han paused. “By falling we learn to go safely. That’s the English translation I like. You would do well to remember it.” With that he stood up, hiding a yawn behind the back of his wrist. “It’s late. I should go to sleep. I have a feeling that Mrs. Han will come by in the morning with food.” Shiro smiled and moved to stand as well. 

“Thank you, Dr. Han, really. I don’t know what I’d do without you two.” 

“You’d get along just fine, Takashi,” Dr. Han said with a wave of a hand, and Shiro felt his cheeks warm. There were less than a handful of people in this world that Shiro let call him that, and the Hans were two of them. 

“Goodnight, Dr. Han.”

“Goodnight. Make sure to wake him up soon. He needs some medicine. And to ice his ribs.”

“I will.” Dr. Han showed himself to the door, and with a small bow of his head he left, closing the door behind him. Shiro watched the closed door of his apartment for a long moment, and then he exhaled, moving over to the freezer to pull out a bag of frozen peas. He carefully covered it in a clean dish towel and walked over to the couch, pulling over a chair so that he was sitting next to Keith’s sleeping form. He watched him for a moment.

It felt weird, to be honest, having a teenager he barely knew in his apartment. A part of him worried if he was breaking any laws, if he could lose his job if the school found out that he took a minor to his place. But really he would’ve done it all again in a heartbeat. 

“Hey,” Shiro said quietly, gently shaking Keith’s shoulder. Keith mumbled something and pouted, and Shiro laughed. “Keith, come on, you need to wake up.” He shook the bag of peas. “I have peas for you.”

“Peas?” Keith mumbled, furrowing his brow and slowly opening his eyes. He found Shiro’s face, and then he looked around the room. Realization dawned on his face and he quickly sat up, wincing in pain as he moved to clutch his side.

“Hey, let’s take it easy, okay?” Shiro said, offering Keith the peas. “Put this on your ribs.” Keith looked at it skeptically, but then he reached to take it. He gingerly lifted up his shirt and placed it on his stomach. Shiro caught a glimpse of the ugly purple bruises and winced in sympathy. Keith clenched his jaw and looked around the apartment.

“You know, my parents used to tell me not to talk to strangers,” Keith said. “I guess it’s a good thing they’re not around to yell at me.” Shiro let out a surprised laugh, shaking his head.

“You’re something else.” The corner of Keith’s mouth quirked up in a pleased smile, and then he shifted a little on the couch. Shiro noticed the shift in his expression, the slight waver that he was finding easier to notice, and he held out a bottle of pills. “You have a mild concussion. You’re supposed to take these.” Keith looked at them.

“Is this where you drug me and sell me on the black market?” Keith asked. Shiro scoffed.

“I’m a high school guidance counselor,” Shiro pointed out. Keith shrugged his shoulders.

“Anyone can be a secret serial killer.” Shiro shook his head, surpressing his smile. 

“I don’t know how much you’d go for anyway, you’re probably a biter,” Shiro grumbled, and Keith grinned. That was the first time Shiro had seen him smile like that. He felt a wave of victory rise within him. 

“So,” Keith said a moment later, his grin fading just as quickly as it came. He was looking across the apartment at the kitchen. “I’m guessing you’re going to ask me what I was doing.” Shiro sighed, offering the bottle of pills for Keith to take. Keith finally took it, opening it up. Then Shiro handed him the glass of water that’d been waiting for him at the coffee table, and Keith took that as well. Shiro waited for him to swallow two oblong pills, and then he started speaking.

“No.” Keith looked at him in surprise, setting his water down on the floor. Shiro gave him a pointed look and Keith rolled his eyes, picking the glass back up and taking a long sip, finishing it. He set it down once more. “Keith,” Shiro began. Then he stopped. His father was always on his mind, but today was different. It was like he was there. But also like he was impossibly far away. His father would know what to do, that’s what stuck in Shiro’s mind the most. And although Keith was practically a stranger, it felt a little like Shiro was looking at his younger self. He sighed, running a hand through the white part of his hair. It was true, it really was genetic. “What are your foster parents like?” he finally asked, and Keith’s eyes widened. He quickly composed his expression, shifting it into something more neutral, something that Shiro was realizing he tended to do when talking about a topic he really didn’t like. 

“They’re fine,” he said, his tone controlled. He refused to meet Shiro’s gaze. Shiro leaned forwards in his chair.

“They must be worried about you. They must be wondering where you are,” Shiro said, and Keith scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Not enough,” Keith said without thinking, and then his eyes widened a fraction before narrowing again. He clenched his jaw. Those two words told Shiro all that he needed to know, and Keith seemed to realize that. He shifted on the couch again, furrowing his brow and looking at Shiro. “Yeah, okay? They’re not my parents, they don’t give a shit about me, and you shouldn’t either. Your life has nothing to do with mine. I just needed a ride.” He looked away again, and Shiro nodded his head, moving to stand. Keith watched him in surprise, and then composed his expression.

“Alright,” Shiro said quietly. “Alright.” He picked up Keith’s glass and walked away. Then he refilled it with water from the kitchen and came back, holding out the glass to Keith once more. Keith looked at him, confused, but then he accepted it, holding it in his hands like he didn’t know what to do with it. Shiro sat back down, looking at the bruise under Keith’s eye. “I lost my dad when I was 20. There was nothing anyone could do about it. And no one can replace him,” Shiro explained, and Keith listened like he was hanging on to every word. “But that doesn’t mean you stop letting people in. People might leave, but you should still let them walk in the door, the people that deserve it.” Shiro let out a bitter laugh. “It’s advice I need to take myself, at least.”

He paused, shaking his head. “I’m glad that you called, Keith, even if you just needed a ride.” Keith looked at the glass in his hands for a long moment, and then rolled his eyes, taking a long sip.

“Is it like this 24/7 with you?” Keith asked. “It’s exhausting.” Shiro watched him for a moment, and then he let out a surprised laugh, a grin spreading across his face. Keith was fighting back a smile of his own.

“I would beat you up for that if you weren’t already injured.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Keith said, lifting up his chin to meet his gaze. Shiro watched him for a moment, and then he lunged forward to get him in a headlock, ruffling his hair. Keith let out a squawk of protest, his glass spilling water.

“My ribs!” Keith said, starting to laugh, but Shiro could tell from his tone that he was fine. Shiro pulled away a moment later and moved to stand, picking up the glass of water once more. 

“That’ll teach you not to mess with me,” Shiro said. He watched in amusement as Keith tried to fix his hair. “And yes, this _is_ what it’s like 24/7. I’m a _guidance_ counselor. I _guide_ people. And apparently I give rides every once in a while to ungrateful kids.” He started to make his way back to the kitchen.

“If you’re getting me more water I’m gonna throw up,” Keith warned, and Shiro turned on the sink, filling the glass.

“You’ll be fine,” Shiro said, and he could hear Keith’s huff. Shiro waited for him to keep arguing, but he didn’t. 

And he ended up finishing the glass. 

It was strange. Shiro never had any siblings, but as he and Keith talked and bickered into the night, it almost felt like he always had one. 

And it was when Keith had fallen asleep again, blanket tucked up to his chin as he mumbled pieces of nothing that Shiro realized his apartment felt different. 

It felt like home.

 

* * *

 

Shiro was 24 when he decided to take his own advice and let someone in. 

When Shiro had dropped Keith off the next morning, after he’d found him beat up by the lake, it was like his foster parents hadn’t realized that he was missing, or they didn’t care. Or a mix of both. Shiro clenched his jaw and ignored the burn in his chest as he watched a middle-aged man with greasy skin and a permanent grimace on his face open the door to his house, look at Keith, and say - “You look like shit.” He watched as Keith hunched his shoulders, biting back his own simmering anger. 

“Keith gave me a call last night. Everything is fine now but he was seen by a doctor and -” The man held up a hand to stop Shiro.

“He knows how to take care of himself. Right kid?” Keith clenched his fists and said nothing. The man looked back at Shiro with dull, unaffected eyes. He noticed Shiro’s metal arm, grimaced further, and then met his gaze again. “You don’t want money, right? Because if you do it’s gonna come out of his funds, since he caused the problem -”

“I don’t want your money, _sir_ ,” Shiro said through gritted teeth. “I just wanted to get him home safely.” Keith scoffed at the word ‘home’. Shiro noticed how small he looked in front this man, who seemed to loom over him. It was like he was swallowing all the things he wanted to say. This wasn’t the same Keith who spoke his mind last night. This made Shiro even angrier. He put a hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“You still have my number, right?” Shiro asked, and Keith nodded, looking at the pocket of his hoodie. “Good.” Then he looked back up at the man. “I’m a guidance counselor at the high school. I know that Keith is graduating middle school soon and -”

“Well, let’s see if he manages to behave until then,” the man said. He put a hand on Keith’s head and Keith flinched as the man pulled him inside. “Hope he wasn’t too much trouble.”

“He’s _really_ not, actually -” The man closed the door in Shiro’s face, and Shiro looked at the dull gray wood in shock. He let out a noise of frustration and ran a hand through his hair, resting his other hand on his hip. Then he swore under his breath and pulled out his phone, heading to his car where he parked it in the street. It rang a few times and then a friendly voice greeted him on the other end. “Yes, hello,” Shiro began. “I’d like to learn more about the fostering process. There’s a kid I’d like to foster as soon as possible - Yes, okay I can do that -”

 

 

It was a long process. A lot of paperwork. Thankfully Keith was able to start his freshman year at the high school, and Shiro was assigned to be his guidance counselor. They spent more and more time together. Most nights Keith would crash at his house. Shiro even got a bed put in the spare room. His foster parents never seemed to care, or notice, or a mix of both. 

Keith was still closed off, and wary, and spent time with Shiro like Shiro would turn into smoke at any moment, but little by little he was able to learn more about Keith. They would eat Mrs. Han’s Baozi and watch movies and Shiro would try and help Keith with his homework, listening him complain about Iverson and his tests. His apartment became - warmer. He’d found a brother. 

And tonight Shiro could finally, _finally_ , give him some good news. They went to the rooftop of his apartment building, which had really become _their_ apartment building, carrying blankets and junk food and a flashlight. They laid it all out and sat down, looking up at the stars. The stars were beautiful tonight, and the moon was full and bright. They could hear cars down below, and people making their way home. But this rooftop was theirs, their own crater on the moon.

“You’re hogging the chips,” Keith said, grabbing the bag out of Shiro’s hands and reaching into it to pull out a handful.

“Rude,” Shiro protested, reaching to grab the bag back. Keith moved it out of his way, shoving the chips in his mouth, and Shiro laughed.

“You’re such a gremlin.” Keith smiled, mouth still full and Shiro shielded his eyes, laughing further. “Gross!” He threw a stray chip at Keith and he made a noise of protest as he chewed. Shiro handed him a bottle of water and Keith rolled his eyes, taking it. “So how was your test today?” Shiro asked, leaning back on his palms and looking up at the sky. He waited for Keith to finish chewing.

“Good, actually. I got a 100%,” Keith said quietly, and Shiro looked at him.

“Keith, that’s really good,” Shiro said, and Keith played with the hem of his shirt, fighting back a smile that Shiro knew he was trying to hide behind his long strands of hair. He chuckled. “You’re allowed to be proud of yourself, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Keith said with a shrug. He was quiet for a moment. Shiro waited. He learned to wait for Keith. “I just wish my parents could see that I’m okay, you know?” Shiro was surprised by this openness, this honesty. He didn’t see it much, but he didn’t let his surprise show.

“What makes you say that they don’t know?” Shiro asked, and Keith furrowed his brow. “They’d be proud, Keith. I know it.” Keith continued to think, lifting his head to look at the stars as well. They watched them glitter in the blackness.

“My parents used to take me outside to teach me about the constellations,” Keith said. “Like, that one’s Cassiopeia.” Keith pointed to a zig-zag of stars above them. “And that one’s Perseus,” Keith continued, pointing to the constellation below the first one. Shiro noticed the flicker of a smile on his lips, and then the sadness in his eyes. “My mom told me that I reminded her of Perseus. He was the one who turned Atlas into stone with the head of Medusa.” Shiro laughed.

“That sounds like something you would do,” Shiro reasoned, and Keith smirked. 

“They were professors at Altea Tech,” Keith said. “That’s where I want to go to school.” Then his expression darkened. “But _they_ told me they’ll never help me pay for it, that I’m gone once I turn eighteen. But they won’t need to kick me out. Once it’s my birthday -” Keith paused, clenching his jaw. Shiro knew who Keith was talking about when he said ‘they’ like that. “I never want to see them again,” Keith finished. Shiro watched him, watched the way his violet eyes burned. 

“What if I told you that you never have to see them again, starting tonight?” Shiro asked, and Keith quickly turned his head towards him, confusion in his eyes. Then he smirked.

“What? Are you finally going to sell me on the black market?” Shiro scoffed and rolled his eyes, and then his expression became serious. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. 

“I mean it, Keith. You never have to see them again.” He handed over the paper and Keith unfolded it, beginning to read. He looked up at Shiro a few moments later, eyes wide.

“Is this real?” Keith asked, and Shiro nodded, trying and failing to bite back his grin.

“I mean, you practically already live with me, so I thought, why not make it official?” Keith continued to look at him with wide eyes, gripping the paper in his hands. He looked at it once more. Then he lunged over to pull Shiro into a hug.

“You’re going to bruise _my_ ribs,” Shiro said, but Keith continued to hold on tight. Shiro smiled and hugged him back. 

“Thank you,” Keith said quietly. Shiro could feel his eyes begin to sting. 

“Don’t thank me Keith. We’re family, it’s what we do.” 

They hugged like that for a moment longer, and then they spent the rest of the night looking at the stars, Keith pointing out every one in the sky for Shiro, telling him all the stories that his parents used to tell him. 

Because they were a family. And that’s what families did.

 

* * *

 

Keith was about to turn sixteen when Shiro was reminded of a night that happened a lifetime ago.

Keith was starting his sophomore year of high school. They had just hired a new physics teacher, a man around Shiro’s age who wore cheesy sweater vests and the students seemed to love. 

So far Shiro had passed him a few times in the hall, given and received the usual ‘good morning’, but it wasn’t until mid-October that they really got to know each other. The school day had just ended, and he was heading down the hall when he saw Adam - he’d told Shiro to call him Adam - talking outside of his classroom with Keith. 

In many ways Keith was the same boy that Shiro first spotted in the library years ago, but he was also visibly different. He had the same messy black hair and dark violet eyes, but he had grown a little taller, he was a little bolder. Well, he was always bold, Shiro reasoned, but this was different kind of boldness. He teased Shiro more. He laughed more. He spoke his mind more. He asked for things more. 

Shiro was so proud of him.

And now he was standing in the hall with his physics teacher, a large smile on his face. Keith was happier now, but those smiles were still rare. It piqued Shiro’s interest. He wondered what this new teacher could’ve possibly said to make him smile like that. Then Adam met Shiro’s gaze and smiled, waving him over. Today he was wearing a purple sweater vest with small constellations that seemed to shine. Keith probably loved it, although he wouldn’t admit it. Shiro wondered if he should get one for Keith’s birthday tomorrow. It would probably make him laugh, although he’d never wear it. Sometimes it was a battle to get Keith to wear his school uniform. 

“Hello Shiro,” Adam said, his expression warm and friendly. Shiro had to admit, this guy was handsome. Tan skin and soft brown hair and broad shoulders and hazel eyes - Shiro shook the thoughts away. He was Keith’s teacher. Besides, he was too busy looking out for Keith to jump into any kind of relationship, no matter how much Adam made his heart flutter. 

Gosh, he couldn’t remember the last time he had a crush. There was a time that he wondered about Allura - but no, they were only friends. His heart clenched painfully. He hadn’t talked to her in years, not since -

“I was just telling Keith how I’d love for him to take AP Physics next year,” Adam explained, and Shiro was brought back to the present. “He’s already mastered most of the material I’m teaching in my honors class.” Shiro smiled at Keith.

“I wish I could take credit, but Keith’s always been this smart.” Keith rolled his eyes, surpressing his smile. 

“I’m happy that he has someone like you looking out for him,” Adam said, and Shiro could feel his cheeks heating up. He let out a laugh and crossed his arms, looking away from them both.

“Shiro doesn’t take compliments well,” Keith explained to Adam, and Adam looked at Shiro with interest. Shiro looked at Keith, narrowing his eyes, and Keith smirked, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. 

“It’s more like we look out for each other,” Shiro explained, rubbing the back of his neck. “By falling we learn to go safely.” He still remembered when Dr. Han had told him that, even if it felt like a forever ago. It was the night that marked the start of his new family. 

“Pulling out a Chinese proverb,” Adam said, looking impressed. “You’re an interesting person, Mr. Shirogane.” Shiro felt his cheeks heat up again. The way Adam smiled - it was a smile you could fall in love with.

“Well, I _am_ a guidance counselor. Using few proverbs here and there is part of the job description.” Adam laughed, and Keith watched them carefully, crossing his arms. Adam’s eyes flicked up to meet Shiro’s and he looked a little more bashful than he did a moment before.

“You know, it might be good to know a few proverbs myself,” Adam began, leaning his hip against the doorframe of his classroom. “Maybe over coffee we could -”

“Dr. Wadley!” a voice called, and Shiro looked down the hall to see a sophomore - Lance McClain - waving at Adam, a wide grin on his face. “We have good news!” Then Shiro noticed two other people standing with him, Hunk - another one of his students - and someone Shiro didn’t quite recognize. She had to be a freshman.

“It’s a go, Adam!” The girl said, giving Adam a thumbs up. Adam looked at Shiro and Keith with a wince. 

“Sorry, but I should go talk to them. I don’t want them to get in trouble for yelling in the halls.” Adam paused. “This would be the third time this week for Lance. He’s an energetic kid.” Shiro heard the fondness in his tone as Adam looked back at them and gestured for them to give him a minute. The girl pointed to the watch on her wrist and Adam scoffed, turning to face Shiro and Keith once more. “Think about AP, Keith. I think you’ll love it.”

“I will, Dr. Wadley, thanks,” Keith said, a small smile on his lips. Then Adam looked at Shiro.

“You were in the middle of saying something,” Shiro offered, and Adam’s cheeks looked a little pinker than they did before. He gave Shiro one of his warm smiles, adjusting his glasses.

“I’ll finish telling you another time,” Adam said. “I can wait.” He gave Shiro one last smile, the kind that made Shiro’s heart skip a beat, and then he gave them both a wave. “Happy almost birthday, Keith,” Adam said, and he left to go join his three students, who were waiting for him at the other end of the hall. Lance was practically bouncing and Hunk had a nervous smile on his face. The freshman student began showing him something on her laptop - Shiro thought he saw a picture of a car, but Adam quickly closed it and led them out of the hall.

“Do you like him?” Keith asked, and Shiro looked at him in surprise.

“Who?” Keith rolled his eyes.

“My teacher.” Shiro swallowed, feeling those butterflies in his stomach once more. Had he thought about threading his fingers through Adam’s hair? Taking off his glasses and seeing if his lips felt as soft as they looked? Running his hands down his arms and lacing their fingers together and seeing how many times he could make Adam laugh? Maybe. But this was a crush. It would go away. Adam probably saw him as a coworker anyway, maybe a friend if Shiro was optimistic. And he wasn’t about to admit these feelings to Keith.

“Of course I like him,” Shiro said with a shrug. Keith scoffed.

“You know that’s not what I meant.” Shiro laughed and bumped his shoulder against Keith’s.

“Let’s go home. Next time you step into this school, you’ll be sixteen. Isn’t that weird?”

“I feel like I’m 93 on the inside,” Keith mumbled, and Shiro laughed again, pulling him into a headlock. Keith let out a noise of protest, struggling to break free but laughing all the same.

“Mr. Shirogane, am I going to have to send you to the principal’s office?” Iverson asked from where he was standing in the doorway to his classroom, and Shiro quickly let go of Keith, smoothing out his button-up shirt.

“No, sir.” Iverson looked at them both, and then he nodded his head once.

“Carry on, then.” Shiro bowed his head and led Keith down the hall and towards the parking lot, Keith laughing behind his hand. 

“You don’t need to get me a gift now, Shiro, that was all I could ask for,” Keith said, still laughing. Shiro laughed as well and they drove home, both of them smiling all the way back. 

His mind wandered back to Adam, back to _his_ smile. Then he thought about his apartment with Keith and Kosmo. That was all he needed. It would be selfish to ask for more. It would be _dangerous_ to ask for more, and he wanted to honor his father’s advice. Safe choices, that’s what he needed to focus on.

 

 

After Shiro had given Keith his gifts - a new telescope, a huge package of his favorite sour gummy worms, a book on car mechanics (Keith had made sure to ask for that one specifically), and a new jacket, since he’d outgrown his hoodie - they decided that it was time for cake. Shiro went to the fridge, pulling out the beautiful cake that Mrs. Han had made them and insisted they take, and set it down on the table. Keith didn’t like candles, or singing, so Shiro went to grab a knife when Keith stopped him.

“Yeah?” Shiro asked, looking at where Keith was sitting in front of the cake, furrowing his brow. He seemed to think for a moment, and then he quickly got up from his chair.

“I need to grab something! You can start cutting it!” he called, hurrying towards his room. Shiro watched him go in confusion, and then he shrugged his shoulders and grabbed the knife he was looking for, going back to the cake and cutting out two, neat slices. Mrs. Han had really outdone herself this year. It was a sponge cake covered in strawberries and cheesecake frosting. She knew that strawberries were Keith’s favorite. Shiro smiled, grabbing two forks and setting one plate in front of Keith’s chair and one in front of his own. He sat down.

“Keith I’m going to eat your slice!” Shiro warned, but then Keith came walking back into the kitchen, holding something carefully in his hands. Shiro put down his fork, watching him with interest. Keith sat down to join him, and Shiro could see that he had a photograph in his hands. Keith looked down at it for a long moment, and then he looked up at Shiro.

“This is a photo of my parents,” Keith explained, his voice quiet but firm. Shiro guessed that it came from the shoe box that Keith kept on the top shelf of his closet, the one that Shiro was instructed to never, ever touch. Shiro waited for him to continue, because he had learned to wait. “I wanted them to be here.” Keith furrowed his brow, still holding the photo in his hands. “It’s stupid -” Shiro shook his head.

“Not stupid,” he said firmly, and Keith bit his lip, nodding his head. 

“Okay.” He moved an empty glass in the middle of the table, and then he gently rested the photo against it, so that it was between Shiro and Keith, and next to the cake. Shiro looked at it. He’d never seen a picture of Keith’s parents before. All he really knew was that they died when Keith was ten. The police found their car in the lake. Shiro only learned much later that that’s why Keith had been there that night. It was the anniversary of the accident. 

They looked young in the photo. The man - Keith’s dad - had his arm around a pretty woman - Keith’s mom, and was placing a kiss on her temple. She was laughing. They were a beautiful couple. The man had a scar on his right eyebrow and messy black hair. The woman was striking - tall and lean, with cropped, dark purple hair - 

Wait. 

Shiro leaned forward, inspecting the photo further with wide eyes. 

“Shiro?” Keith asked him, shifting in his seat. Shiro looked at Keith, then back at the picture.

“These are your parents?” Shiro asked, and Keith looked at him in confusion.

“No, these are two random strangers that I happen to keep a picture of -” Keith began, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Then he saw Shiro’s expression. “Why?” Shiro opened his mouth, but then he stopped. That night came rushing back to him. The fight with his dad. The race. The phone call.

What were the odds? Shiro left his street racing life for good, and now he was fostering the son of two of the most famous racers who’ve ever been on Altea Drive, one of them being a former _champion_. It was like fate had tied him and Keith together a long time ago, back when he first heard that a three year old boy was sick and asking for his parents.

“ _Shiro_ ,” Keith said more firmly this time, and Shiro met his faze. His violet eyes were burning. Just like his mom’s. Shiro took a deep breath, looking down at his slice of cake.

“Okay, I don’t know how to tell you this,” Shiro said slowly. He felt Keith’s eyes on him, waiting. Maybe Keith had learned to wait, too. “Have you ever heard of Firefighter and Marmora?” Shiro asked. Keith furrowed his brow, shaking his head. “They were street racers on Altea Drive, two of the best, actually.” Keith waited for him to continue, still looking confused. “Marmora was the champion for a few years, and Firefighter was her mechanic. He made her car the best, and she was the only one who could drive it the way she did. They were - incredible. I saw her race, once, against Zarkon.” Keith eyes widened at that.

“But wait, I thought you told me never to go to Altea Drive, that you hated it -”

“That doesn’t mean I never went there myself,” Shiro said. Keith let out a noise of protest, but Shiro held up a hand. “And I never hated Altea Drive. It’s just - dangerous. But that’s not my point.” Shiro paused. “I saw them race once. I hid behind a bush -” Keith opened his mouth again, but Shiro raised a hand to stop him. “I didn’t want to be home. I had a rebellious streak myself, you know,” he said with a small smile. Then his expression became serious again. “Everyone was gone. They didn’t know that I was there. I saw their faces when they passed under one of the streetlights.” Shiro looked back at the photo, then at Keith. “Firefighter and Marmora - the people I saw are the people in that photo. They were your parents.” Keith looked at the photo for a long moment, and then he shook his head.

“No they weren’t. They were _professors_. They would’ve told me -”

“They stopped when you were three. They wanted to be your parents first,” Shiro explained. “They loved Altea Drive, but they loved you more.” Keith was quiet as he continued to look at the photo. 

“They were street racers, really good ones,” Keith said, and Shiro nodded his head. Keith furrowed his brow, seeming to think something over. Then he looked at Shiro. “Thank you for telling me.” Shiro nodded his head again.

“You deserved to know.” Keith picked up his fork and started eating, and Shiro joined him. They ate like that in silence, but it was comfortable, familiar. Even when Keith kept stealing glances at the photo of his parents. 

“Thank you, Shiro,” Keith said again later that night, as Shiro did the dishes. 

“Of course, Keith, happy -” the breath was knocked out of Shiro’s lungs as Keith hugged him from behind, resting his forehead against Shiro’s back before quickly pulling away and heading to his room. Shiro smiled to himself as he dried the plate in his hands, but something nagged at the back of his mind. 

He hoped he did the right thing by telling Keith. He thought he did. He just had this feeling that things were going to change now, and he didn’t know how to feel about it.

 

* * *

  

Shiro was 25, approaching 26 when he drove back to his apartment, all of these memories swirling in his head as he decided that he was going to give Keith the full truth of what Allura had told him.

Because that’s what Keith had always deserved. 

He pulled into the garage below his apartment and pulled out his keys. Then he looked at the helmet tucked under the passenger seat. 

It was weird. In that moment he thought of Adam. 

‘ _They’re tougher than you think_ ,’ he’d told Shiro. And Adam was right. Adam was usually right. 

Shiro and Keith were a team. They were going to fall together, and that was okay, that was good, even. Because they could handle it, because they would rise again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they've come a long way and i love shiro and keith so much :')


	6. Lap Six

Keith ran a hand through Kosmo’s fur, brows pinched together in thought. He was sitting on the floor, back resting against the couch, while Kosmo nuzzled into him. Shiro watched him from where he was sitting at the kitchen table. 

“This is connected to Zarkon,” Keith said firmly, his violet eyes burning. Shiro shifted in his chair. 

“Keith, we can’t know that for sure -” Keith’s head quickly turned to look at Shiro.

“My parents were legendary on Altea Drive, my mom was the _champion_ , and the police told me that she lost control of the car and drove into the lake.” Keith’s voice cracked, and he furrowed his brows further, going back to looking at the floor. “It doesn’t make sense.” Shiro was silent for a moment. Keith had never told him about his parents’ death. All Shiro knew were the things he could piece together. 

“Did the police -?” Shiro sighed. This wasn’t easy. “Did they find anything in the - well, the -?”

“Autopsy?” Keith asked, a bitter smile on his lips. Kosmo nudged Keith’s hand with his head and Keith began petting him once more. “They found nothing unusual with my dad. And my mom -” Keith paused. Shiro could see the pain in his eyes. He was tempted to stop the conversation for the night, but he knew this was important to Keith, so he waited. Keith turned his face away from Shiro, looking out the window. “They never found her body.” Shiro’s breath caught in his throat. “They wrote it off as a drunk driving case.” Keith clenched his jaw. “I know it _wasn’t_. She never drank.” Shiro ran a hand through his hair and leaned forward in his seat, looking down at his hands. This was all so complicated. No, if all of this meant what Shiro was beginning to think that it meant - this was a conspiracy, a conspiracy that’s been haunting Keith for seven years. 

“You believe me, right?” Keith asked, his voice quiet. Shiro could feel Keith’s eyes on him, and he looked up. The moment he met Keith’s gaze he stood. He thought about what Pilot had told him about his brother, about how there was a case that he’d been working on before he died. 

“Keith,” Shiro began clenching his fists. “I think I do.” Keith’s expression turned hopeful, and he moved to stand as well. 

“Then let’s do something about it.” Shiro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Keith -”

“Shiro, come _on_ , we can’t just sit around, not after everything we’ve learned.”

“Keith, this happened _years_ ago. Zarkon is still in prison, we don’t have any evidence -”

“Then let’s find some!” Keith argued. “Shiro, I can’t just let this go.” Shiro sighed.

“I know you can’t, but we need to play this safe -” Keith scoffed and crossed his arms.

“What has safe ever gotten you, Shiro? You _still_ lost your dad, you _still_ lost your arm, you lost the Paladin, you lost a piece of your _life_ -” Keith stopped when he saw the expression on Shiro’s face, his eyes widening slightly. Then he furrowed his brow and looked away. “You know what not being safe got you? _Me_.” Keith paused. “Do you regret that?” Shiro opened his mouth to respond, but Keith quickly left the room, his head down as he stormed down the hall.

“Keith!” Shiro called after him. Then he heard the door to Keith’s room slam shut. He sighed, moving to sit down again. Kosmo appeared at his side, sitting against his leg. Shiro placed a hand on Kosmo’s head and he heard the gentle thump of his tail. A small, tired smile graced Shiro’s lips.

No. He didn’t regret it. He never would.

Maybe Keith had a point, but Shiro’s point still stood. There wasn’t much they could do about it. There wasn’t much _Shiro_ could do about it. He was just a guidance counselor. He was supposed to help _others_ reach their full potential, to help _others_ move forward in life. 

He wondered what would happen if, for once, he decided to help himself. To be the hero. 

The thought scared him.

 

 

“Keith, wake up,” Shiro said, knocking on the door. He heard a groan in response. Shiro scoffed and leaned against the door. “Mrs. Han dropped off her dough sticks and I’m not making you go to school today.” The door suddenly opened and Shiro stumbled forward, catching his balance.

He looked down to see Keith rubbing the sleep from his eyes, his hair messy and sticking up in odd places. 

“Soy milk too?” Keith asked, and a small smile spread across Shiro’s lips. 

“Of course.” Keith nodded his head, and then he seemed to remember what had happened last night and his expression darkened. 

“Shiro -” Shiro held up a hand to stop him.

“Let’s eat breakfast,” Shiro said. “You’re not going to school today, but we _are_ going somewhere.” Keith looked at him in confusion.

“Where?” Shiro’s smile widened a little.

“Altea Tech.”

 

 

“Finally!” Lance yelled, throwing his arms wide and basking in the sunlight. “¡Estoy en casa!” Hunk smiled and shook his head, closing the car door of Shiro’s Subaru.

“Thank you for letting us tag along, Mr. Shirogane,” Hunk said, and Shiro closed his door as well, putting his hands on his hips and looking at the green space in front of them. The weather was nice today - probably one of the last warmer days until winter came. College students were lounging outside on blankets, some were throwing a frisbee, others were walking to class and laughing with their friends. 

“Of course, Hunk. As juniors you guys get to have a few days to use as college touring days, and I haven’t used any sick days yet, so I thought why not spend one?” He glanced over at Keith, who was standing a few feet ahead of them and looking at the quad. He couldn’t see his face, but Shiro guessed that he was trying to take it all in. He wondered if Keith’s parents ever took him here. 

“Woah, check that out!” Lance yelled, quickly moving to sling an arm around Keith and point in the direction he was looking. Two girls were working on what looked to be a homemade rocket ship. They set it on the ground, making sure that it was stable, and then they looked at each other and grinned. A moment later one of the girls hit a button on the controller in her hand and the rocket shot up in the air, rainbow-colored smoke pouring out of it as it spiraled up into the sky. People on the quad looked up, some of them beginning to clap.

“Amazing,” Hunk breathed, adjusting his headband as he moved to stand on Keith’s other side. “And your parents worked here?” Shiro finally got a look at Keith’s face when he turned to answer Hunk.

“Yeah,” Keith said with a smile. Shiro’s gaze softened, and then he clapped his hands together.

“Where do you boys want to start?” Lance grinned and grabbed Keith’s hand.

“This way!” he declared, pointing in the direction of the building with the large, glass windows. Keith began to blush, and when Lance caught the look on Keith’s face his cheeks heated up as well, but then he quickly turned and tugged Keith along. Keith didn’t protest as he followed Lance through the quad. Shiro heard Hunk scoff as they watched them.

“Maybe Pidge was right, he does have a crush on them both,” Hunk mused, and Shiro raised an brow. Something about that sounded familiar -

“Both?” Shiro asked, moving to stand next to Hunk, locking his car. Hunk’s eyes widened and he looked at Shiro.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something Pidge told me.” Hunk rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding Shiro’s gaze. “It’s too bad that she couldn’t come, since she’s a sophomore.” Shiro nodded his head. He still didn’t know Pidge all that well, but he did know her parents, and Colleen would never let Pidge skip school. Then he thought about something.

“Hey Hunk, how did you and Lance become friends with Pidge anyway?” Hunk’s eyes widened again and he put his hands in his pockets.

“Oh, well, uh, Pidge was the one who wanted to start the, uh, astronomy club. She overheard me and Lance talking to Adam - _Dr. Wadley_ \- after class one day and, um, brought up the idea.” Hunk let out a nervous laugh. “I wasn’t really on board with it at first. I didn’t think I’d have time, but Lance was able to convince me.” Shiro smiled.

“Are you happy? With the club, I mean.” Shiro saw Hunk’s small smile. 

“Yeah, I really am. It feels - right.”

“¡Oye! ¡Vamos!” Lance called from where he and Keith were waiting by the building, on the other side of the quad. Keith nudged his ribs and said something, and Lance rubbed the back of his neck, saying something in reply. Shiro scoffed and shook his head. Then he looked back at Hunk.

“Ready?” Hunk beamed, tightening his orange headband.

“Let’s do this.”

 

 

Shiro had never toured Altea Tech’s campus before. He had to admit - it was beautiful. Most of the buildings had a modern feel to them, with big windows and shiny metal scaffolding and colorful murals on the walls. People passed them by with different projects held gingerly in their arms - rocket ships and high tech laptops and models of planes and cars. Lance watched as one guy walked past with a small turbine tucked under his arm.

“So cool!” Lance said with wide eyes, drinking it all in. Keith was too busy looking at the building they had stopped in front of. It was dome-shaped, painted white. Above the entrance was the name of the building: _Altea Tech Public Observatory_. Hunk whistled.

“We have to go in there,” Hunk said, and Lance nodded his head, looking back at Shiro. 

“Yeah, why not?” Shiro said with a shrug of his shoulders, and they all made their way inside. 

They found themselves standing at the edge of a large, circular room. The ceiling was high and rounded, with a rectangular shaped opening where they could see the blue sky. And in the center of the room was a large telescope, silver and shiny and unlike anything Shiro had ever seen before. 

“No way!” Lance said, walking towards the center of the room. He looked back at Hunk and grinned. “You seeing this, man?” Hunk nodded his head and moved to join him.

“Oh yeah,” he breathed. Lance grabbed on to his sleeve.

“We have to go here,” Lance said, his tone more serious this time. Hunk clenched his fists.

“We’ll make it happen.” Shiro felt like he should say something, tell them that they shouldn’t get their hopes up, that they’re still early on in the process to be making any big decisions, but then he noticed the way that Keith was shoving his hands in his pockets, looking at the telescope with a furrowed brow. 

“Is everything okay?” Keith didn’t pull his eyes away, still deep in thought, and then he seemed to register that Shiro had asked him a question. He turned to look at Shiro, then back at the telescope.

“It’s just - this place is familiar. My mom took me here, a lot, I think.” Then they heard the door behind them open, and a pair of footsteps that quickly came to a halt.

“Are you four touring the campus?” a deep, somewhat gruff voice asked. Shiro turned to see a tall, broad shouldered man standing by the door. His silver hair was braided and fell down his shoulder. He had a scar that ran vertically across his face and through his eye. He was wearing a black button down shirt with a purple tie, and he was watching them with a measured, guarded gaze. 

“Yeah, we’re planning on applying here,” Lance said, grinning as he walked up to the man and offered his hand. “The name’s Lance. I’m planning on joining the aeronautical engineering program. I’m going to design the best planes you’ve ever seen,” he said with a wink, and Keith put a hand on his forehead, shaking his head. The man just raised an eyebrow, seeming to size up the boy in front of him. He didn’t accept Lance’s hand, and a moment later Lance dropped it, giving him finger guns and walking back to stand next to Keith. “That’s okay. The Lance charm can’t work on everyone,” he said, still with a grin on his face. “At least, not right away.” He shot Keith a wink and Keith scoffed, crossing his arms.

“You can be impossible sometimes, you know that, right?” Keith said, and the man turned to look at him.

“Wait,” the man said, his eyes widening slightly. “Keith?” Keith quickly turned to look at him, his gaze wary. His tightened his arms around his chest.

“Yeah? How do you know my name?” The man straightened his posture.

“My name is Kolivan.” There was something hard to read in his gaze. “I knew your mother, Krolia. We worked together, for a long time.” Keith’s lips parted slightly in surprise, and he took a step forward.

“You knew my mom?” Keith said quietly. Then he furrowed his brow. “Then you knew my dad too, right?” Kolivan nodded his head. 

“I was introduced to him. Your mother and I worked in the physics department here. Now it’s just me running the department,” Kolivan explained, his expression grim. “Your mother would take you here a lot, when you were younger. She told me that this was your favorite part of Altea Tech.” Keith blinked at him, trying to process it all. Then he clenched his jaw and looked away. Shiro could tell that he was throwing walls around himself, just like he did when they first met. This couldn’t be easy for him, having a stranger tell him things about himself and his mother. Shiro caught Lance looking at Keith in concern. Then Kolivan smiled. There was some bitterness to it.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Keith. Your mother was an incredible woman - strong, bold, a little rough around the edges, for a time,” Kolivan said, a flash on amusement in his eyes. “And then she met your father, and he softened her a little, gave her a new direction. He’s the reason she came to teach at Altea Tech, and convinced me to leave Galra U with her -” Keith’s eyes widened at that.

“What about Galra U?” 

“Your mother and I used to teach there, what feels like a forever ago. But then we -” Kolivan stopped. “It wasn’t the right fit for us, anymore.” He looked at Keith with interest. “I’m guessing your mother never told you that.” Keith looked down at the floor, his gaze far away.

“There’s a lot that I don’t know about my past,” Keith finally said. He furrowed his brow, moving to clench his fists. Frustration simmered behind his eyes. Shiro could tell that it was time to go.

“Let’s keep moving, guys,” Shiro said, looking at Kolivan. “There are still some things we haven’t seen yet.”

“Yeah, Mr. Shirogane’s right,” Lance said, still looking at Keith in concern. He reached out his hand, but then he pulled it back, nudging Keith’s shoulder instead. “Hey man, ready to go?” Keith seemed to remember where he was, and he slowly looked up at Lance before looking away.

“Yeah, let’s leave,” Keith decided. He headed for the door, and right as he was about to pass Kolivan he stopped and said, “thank you, for telling me those things.” Kolivan nodded his head.

“If you ever want to talk again, you know where to find me.” Keith nodded his head once, and then he opened the door and left. Lance and Hunk looked at Shiro, waiting for him to say something. 

“Go ahead, I’ll meet you two outside.” Lance nodded his head and the two of them made their way outside, closing the door behind them. 

“So you’re his guardian, I’m assuming,” Kolivan said. Shiro straightened his back. Kolivan smiled his bitter smile. “He’s been dealt a bad hand in life. But he seems strong enough to rise above it.”

“I know he is,” Shiro said firmly. Then he paused, thinking over his next words. “What happened at Galra U? What made you leave?” Kolivan raised an brow at that.

“Why do you feel the need to know?” Shiro furrowed his brow.

“Because I used to go there, because I’m having some of my students apply there, because -”

“Because something happened to you while you were at that school, and you can’t explain it?” Kolivan asked, and it was like he’d knocked the air out of Shiro’s lungs. “I can see the guilt in your eyes, the shame, the uncertainty.” Then he shook his head. “But if you are hoping for answers, I have none to give you.” Shiro clenched the fist of his prosthetic arm, and let out a deep breath. Then he met Kolivan’s gaze and smiled.

“I’m sorry to have taken your time.” Kolivan looked at him for a long moment, and then he looked past Shiro, at the telescope behind him. 

“Just because I don’t have the answers, doesn’t mean that they don’t exist,” Kolivan said. “Keep seeking knowledge, because sometimes it’s knowledge - or death.” Shiro’s eyes widened at his grave tone, and then he nodded his head, walking past him and towards the door. He put his hand on the door and stopped. He felt like he should say something, but instead he shook his head and pushed the door open, stepping back out into the sunlight. He looked to see Keith, Lance, and Hunk standing in front of a statue of some man on a horse. Lance had an arm around Keith’s shoulders and was pointing something out on the statue. Hunk started to laugh and Shiro could tell that Keith was holding back his smile. Shiro’s gaze softened and he moved to join them.

“I mean, what kind of name is Barnabus Boyle the Seventh? Are they trying to tell me that six of his ancestors had that name and they _still_ thought that it was a good idea?” Lance observed. Hunk held his sides as he continued to laugh. “Hey, I think I see a smile there, mullet,” Lance teased, and Keith gave him a gentle shove, laughing and shaking his head. Then Keith noticed Shiro and his smile fell. He looked down at the grass, kicking a rock with his shoe.

“Hey, Keith -” Shiro began. He knew that Keith didn’t want his sympathy, but that didn’t mean that Shiro couldn’t offer his support. He wanted to say _something_ -

“Shiro?” a voice asked from somewhere farther behind him. He turned to see Allura standing in the middle of the green space. She was wearing a pale blue dress today, and her hair was down. He met her gaze and she beamed, waving at him. Then she made her way across the quad and towards them, coming to stand next to Shiro and linking her arm through his. “What a lovely surprise,” she said, a smile still on her face. 

“Allura!” Lance said, grinning. “What’s up?” Shiro looked between the two of them in confusion, and Allura shot Lance a look. Lance’s eyes widened slightly. 

“How do you two know each other?” Shiro asked. Keith looked at the two of them in interest as well, crossing his arms. Lance laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I stop by Alfor’s sometimes. Blue’s an old girl, so I need to fix her up pretty often, and Allura gives me a good deal.” Lance shot finger guns Allura’s way. “The Lance charm is hard to resist.” Allura rolled her eyes, putting her free hand on her hip. 

“It’s really only because I plan to steal his car away from him someday. Blue’s a classic,” Allura whispered to Shiro, but seeing Lance’s offended expression and the way Keith was hiding a laugh behind his hand he assumed that they all had heard her. Allura winked at Lance and then looked at Hunk. “I feel like I should admit that I’ve met Hunk as well.” Hunk’s eyes widened and Allura gave him a small smile. “I drop by his father’s auto shop every once in a while - we’ve become good business partners. And I also stop by his mother’s bakery - she makes the most delicious scones.” Hunk looked at the ground bashfully. 

“Small world, I guess,” Shiro finally said. Allura smiled at him, and there was a flash of mischief in her eyes. 

“Smaller than you think.” Then she pushed her hair over her shoulder, her arm still linked with Shiro’s. “So I’m guessing you’re all touring the campus? It’s a lovely day for it.” Shiro nodded his head.

“I think we all needed a break, and it’s good to visualize your goals, so -” Allura smiled.

“Always the pragmatist, Shiro.” Then she looked at Keith, Hunk, and Lance. “I can’t wait for you three to call this place home.” Shiro saw their hopeful expressions and winced.

“Well, Allura -” Allura gave his arm a gentle squeeze and smiled.

“Always the pragmatist,” she said again, a little quieter this time. Then her eyes widened slightly. “Oh! I’m already running late. My old college roommate and I promised to meet up here today, and Romelle always teases me when I’m late to things. Everything’s just been so busy with the new shipments and we’re upgrading our server at Alfor’s -” Allura laughed, shaking her head. “I won’t bore you with the details.”

“Did you end up hiring the guy you interviewed?” Shiro asked. Allura nodded her head. 

“He’s a gem. He goes to Galra U, actually, and he’s been a big help with our new upgrade. If it wasn’t for him I’d be even busier than I am,” Allura paused, deep in thought for a moment. “And yet I cannot help but feel like there’s something I’ve forgotten to do -” Then she looked down at where her arm was linked through Shiro’s and her eyes widened. “Shoot!” She unhooked her arm from Shiro’s. “I need to -” she cursed under her breath, checking her watch. “I don’t have time -” she looked back up at Shiro. “I need you to do me a favor.” Shiro raised a brow.

“Sure, anything for you, Allura.” Allura smiled, putting a hand on his cheek and dropping it back to her side.

“I need you to tell Adam that we’re not dating.” Shiro heard Lance make a choking noise, and Hunk nudged his ribs, shooting him a look. Keith just looked at Shiro in confusion.

“Wait, Adam thinks were dating?” Shiro asked. Allura giggled and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. 

“What am I going to do with you, Shiro?” Then her expression became serious. “Yes, you need to tell him that we’re not together. I’m living my best single life, thank you very much.” Shiro opened his mouth to respond, but Allura was already leaving, giving him a wave and a smile. “Good luck! Take him out for coffee or something!” With that she was gone, Shiro blinking as he watched her go. 

“So you two _aren’t_ dating?” Lance asked, and Shiro looked at him in confusion.

“What?” Shiro shook his head. “No, never. She’s like a sister to me.” He saw the look of relief on Lance’s face and continued to watch him in confusion. 

“Maybe Adam won’t be so spacey and sad now,” Lance told Hunk, leaning into him and giving him a nudge. Then he noticed Shiro looking at him and his eyes widened. “Because he likes Allura!” he blurted out, and Hunk’s eyes blew wide, quickly turning to look at Lance. Lance seemed to realize what he said and began to laughed nervously, waving his arms a little. “I mean, no, well, Adam - _Dr. Wadley_ -”

“Oh,” Shiro said, wondering why his voice sounded so small. He almost felt - disappointed? He remembered the crush he had, what felt like a forever ago. But he’d gotten over that, right? He had other things to focus on, he had his life with Keith and Kosmo, and he didn’t have _room_ for more.

And he liked someone new.

He shook the thought away and smiled, Lance still looking flustered and Hunk shooting him a disapproving look.

“Well, someone will have to break it to him that Allura is ‘living her best single life’,” Shiro said with a laugh. But then he considered it. He wondered - if Allura knew that Adam liked her, maybe she would go for it. They would be good together, a power couple for sure. But why did that make Shiro’s insides feel all - weird? He decided to laugh again and began to walk across the quad. “Come on, we should finish the tour.” He caught Keith looking at him, his arms crossed as he watched Shiro with a calculated gaze, but then Keith shrugged and followed him.

“Fine by me,” Keith said. Lance started to say something, but then he slumped his shoulders in defeat, keeping pace with Keith. Hunk sighed and put a hand on his forehead, bringing up the rear. 

 

 

“I want to visit Galra U,” Keith said as they were heading back to Shiro’s car. They had toured what felt like every inch of campus, looking through all of the academic buildings and dining halls - they even managed to check out one of the dorms. A nice senior student had offered to show them around. Shiro could tell that the three of them had fallen in love with the place. It made him happy, but worried, too. He was hoping that they weren’t putting all their expectations into one place. That’s why Keith’s sudden request caught him off guard. He turned back to look at Keith in surprise. Lance and Hunk looked surprised as well. Keith crossed his arms, looking away from them all and at the ground. Shiro’s gaze softened - he had an idea why Keith wanted to go. He opened his door.

“Sure, let’s do it. Are you two okay with that?” he asked, looking at Hunk and Lance. It seemed like they had remembered what Kolivan had told Keith as well. Hunk nodded his head, but Lance looked at Shiro suspiciously.

“This isn’t some trick to get me to apply there, right? You didn’t plan this -?” Lance began to ask, and Shiro laughed.

“I’m not some super villain, Lance.”

“I’m still not ruling out that you’re an evil clone,” Keith said with a shrug, and Shiro sighed and stepped into his car.

“Thanks, Keith,” Shiro said, and he caught Keith’s grin in his rearview mirror and stuck out his tongue, waiting for him and Lance to pile into the back, Hunk claiming the passenger’s seat. 

“You know, that might be a good theory, Keith,” Lance said, and Shiro could feel Lance’s gaze as he began to pull out of the parking lot.

“Yes, because all evil clones drive a Subaru and work as a guidance counselor,” Shiro said dryly. Hunk laughed.

“I don’t know, it’s a good cover story. You could be living a secret double life.” Shiro met Keith’s gaze in the rearview mirror, both of them widening their eyes a little, and then they began to laugh. “Hey, what’s so funny?” Lance asked, and Shiro could hear the pout in his voice. 

“Shiro’s too boring for that,” Keith assured him, but he found Shiro’s eyes in the mirror again and smiled. 

 

 

Galra U was definitely very different from Altea Tech. Where Altea Tech was full of light and glass and made up of airy, modern-looking buildings, Galra U had towering buildings made of darker stone. The place spoke of tradition and discipline. Its corners were filled with shadows.

Shiro remembered it well. 

Although he’d only spent two years at Galra U, while he was here it felt like a lifetime. He found himself missing the Garrison most days, but he always managed to shove that want down. 

He couldn’t go back. It was too far from home. Galra U had offered him a scholarship. This was the best option, after losing his dad. It was the safe option, and Shiro didn’t want to tarnish his father’s memory by doing anything other than what was safe. 

So he sucked it up and spent his last two years at Galra U, and it turned out alright in the end. He managed to excel in all his classes, even though the professors seemed to have it out for him. He got his degree in psychology and managed to get his masters the year after. He was able to move on with his life, and follow through with the path he’d chosen for himself. 

Everything had been predictable. That is, everything except that one day during his junior year, when he’d been so run down with classes and his part-time jobs that he ended up in the infirmary. 

What had started out being a bad day turned into a bad night. It led to the end of the Paladin. It was the night of the crash.

“Is it just me, or does this place give off some scary vibes?” Hunk asked quietly. Lance had his arm linked with his friend’s, nodding his head in agreement. Keith scoffed and moved past them, walking past the entrance gate and towards the closest building. Shiro shook his head, storing away the memories better left forgotten, and gave Hunk and Lance a smile.

“Come on, guys. I’ve heard people say that this place looks like Hogwarts.” Lance looked past Shiro and at the campus, narrowing his gaze.

“Yeah, maybe when Voldemort had taken over and Snape was Headmaster.”

“He-who-should-not-be-named!” Hunk protested, and Lance let out a laugh and began to lead the two of them forward, in the direction Keith had gone in. 

“If we get cursed or hexed here you’ll be getting a call from mi abuelita, Mr. Shirogane,” Lance called over his shoulder. Shiro scoffed and shook his head.

“I’ll take that risk,” Shiro replied dryly, moving to follow them. He spotted Keith and saw that he was talking to someone he didn’t recognize. He looked like a student. He was wearing a dark gray button-up, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his long silver hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He was holding on to the handlebars of his bike as he talked to Keith, looking down at him and smiling. Then he seemed to notice that he was being watched and picked up his head to see the three of them approaching. 

“Oh, hello. I’m guessing that this is the rest of your group?” the young man, Shiro figured that he had to be in his early twenties, asked Keith. Keith nodded his head, looking impatient. 

“So you know where the physics department is?” Keith asked, crossing his arms. The man’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. He was probably caught off guard by Keith’s bluntness. Then there was a flash of amusement in his eyes. 

“Yes, after going to school here for almost four years I definitely hope that I do.”

“So?” Keith asked, and Shiro moved to stand next to Keith, giving the man a polite smile. 

“Sorry, he’s just very - excited,” Shiro explained. Then he gave Keith a pointed look. Keith looked at him and shrugged. 

“What?” Shiro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, and the man laughed.

“It is quite alright. Living amongst my peers, you get used to a lack of formalities in conversation,” the man explained. “I appreciate that he gets straight to the point.” He looked back at Keith. “I’m actually headed in that direction, so you and your friends can follow me if you’d like. I make an excellent tour guide.” Keith furrowed his brow, seeming to size him up.

“That’d be great,” Shiro decided to answer for him, reaching out his hand for the man to take. “I’m Shiro. These are two of my students - Lance and Hunk - and my brother, Keith.” The man looked down to see Shiro’s prosthetic arm, and then he looked back at Shiro again, seeming to analyze his face. Shiro was about to drop his hand when the man took it, giving him a firm handshake.

“My name’s Lotor. I’m a senior here at Galra U. I’m double majoring in computer science and environmental science.”

“Computer science, huh? That’s what Pidge wants to do,” Lance said, nudging Hunk. The man - Lotor - looked at him in confusion.

“What is a ‘pidge’?” he asked, and Shiro let out a somewhat forced laugh and let go of Lotor’s hand. 

“That’s quite a combination of majors. Any plans after college?” Shiro asked. Something in Lotor’s gaze became serious.

“I want to save the world. I want to make up for the destruction that my - that people have caused, in the past,” Lotor explained, his smile looking somewhat strained. “Anyway, let’s get you to the physics department.” He began walking down the paved path, still holding on to the handlebars of his bike. He looked over his shoulder to see if they were following, and then he pressed on. Keith went down the path first, then Hunk and Lance. Shiro brought up the rear, but soon he found himself walking in step with Lotor, the other three lagging behind and having their own conversation.

“You used to go to school here,” Lotor said, and Shiro looked at him in surprise. 

“Um, yeah, how did you -?”

“It’s the way that you look at the place,” Lotor said, a slight bitterness in his tone. “Like it’s wronged you somehow.” Shiro’s eyes widened further, and Lotor laughed, gesturing to the academic building on the right. It was where all of the math classes were held. “I mean, Professor Sendak’s exams are the worst, right? I could imagine that it would leave any alumni with some not-so-happy memories.” Shiro laughed, feeling more at ease as he nodded his head.

“Yeah, you don’t even want to know the things I drank in order to stay awake and study,” Shiro confessed, rubbing the back of his neck. Lotor laughed behind his hand, and then his expression became more thoughtful.

“What’s it like? Being out of school? Living the life that you’ve made for yourself?” Lotor asked. Shiro thought for a moment, the question catching him off-guard. The life he made for himself? If he was being honest, it didn’t really feel like his own, in some ways. It still felt like he was waiting for something, but he didn’t know what that something was.

“I would savor this last year,” Shiro ended up saying. “Because once you have to create your own budget -” he shivered and Lotor laughed again. Shiro smiled. “But seriously, it’s pretty good. It’s different, and uncertain, but -” Shiro looked back at Keith, who was swatting Lance’s hand away and hiding his grin behind his hair. “Some pretty great things can come out of it.” Lotor adjusted his grip on the handlebars, looking down at the sidewalk.

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” he said quietly, and then he stopped his bike. “Here’s the building you were looking for,” he declared, looking back at Keith. Shiro looked at the long building in front of them. He hadn’t spent too much time inside, there wasn’t really a need to, but he remembered passing it every morning during his runs. “All of our science buildings are connected, and our research labs are on the lower levels.”

“It’s much smaller than what Altea Tech has,” Shiro could hear Lance mumble under his breath to Hunk. Then Lance raised his hand. Lotor raised a brow, looking at him in confusion.

“Uh, yes?”

“Does Galra U have an aeronautical engineering program? Or an aerospace engineering program?” he asked. Lotor gave him a polite smile.

“No, I’m afraid. We don’t quite have the budget, yet. But my -” he suddenly stopped, looking like there was a sour taste in his mouth. “The Galra U president is trying to expand the academics that we can offer. So hopefully we will have both soon.” 

“Altea Tech already has both, and even more programs,” Lance pointed out, and Lotor’s eye twitched.

“Lance,” Shiro warned, but Lotor held up a hand.

“It’s okay, we’re well aware of Altea Tech’s many strengths.” Lotor paused. “There was a time when Galra U was able to compete, but complications occurred,” he explained. “But I’ve always held the belief that our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. I believe that Galra U can rise again.”

“See, that’s some optimism right there,” Hunk said, nudging Lance’s ribs. “I like it.” Lotor laughed, and then he looked at Keith with a measured gaze. 

“Why did you want to see the physics department? Is that what you want to major in?” Lotor asked. Keith crossed his arms, looking away from him.

“No, my mom used to work here as a professor.” That seemed to pique Lotor’s interest. His eyes flashed.

“Oh? And who was your -?” Then his phone began to ring and he quickly pulled it out of his pocket, checking the caller ID. Shiro could’ve sworn that his face became a few shades paler as he saw who is was. Then Lotor looked up at them and gave them a sheepish smile. “I’m afraid that this is where I leave you. Enjoy the rest of your tour.” He moved further down the path, bike in tow, and picked up the call. “What is it, witch?” Shiro thought he heard Lotor hiss as he walked further down the path. Soon he was hidden by a line of bushes, and was gone. 

“He was kind of weird, wasn’t he?” Lance asked.

“I think he’s an alien,” Keith said seriously, and Lance nodded his head, his expression grave.

“Maybe he was trying to abduct us.”

“Guys, don’t joke about that,” Hunk said, looking nervously at where the bushes hid the rest of the path. 

“He wanted to steal our bodies!” Lance yelled, throwing his arms in the air and making his way towards Hunk. Hunk shut his eyes and swatted Lance away.

“Seriously! Not funny!” Hunk protested, and Keith began to laugh, holding his sides. Lance looked back to grin at him and continued to poke Hunk’s stomach. Shiro scoffed and shook his head.

“Did you guys want to go into the building or not?” he asked, and Keith stopped laughing, looking serious.

“I want to go in.” He began making his way to the door. Lance stopped pestering Hunk and threw an arm around his shoulders.

“You know that I love you buddy. I would sacrifice myself to the alien overlords for you any day.”

“Maybe, unless you were too busy making heart eyes at Keith,” Hunk mumbled. Shiro let out a surprised laugh and quickly covered his mouth with his hand, but the damage was done. He turned to see Lance looking at Shiro with wide eyes, his face red. Shiro held up his hands in surrender.

“I heard nothing,” Shiro said quickly. He caught Hunk’s gaze and then turned around. “I should catch up to Keith,” he said, quickening his pace to meet Keith at the door. He could hear Lance and Hunk arguing behind him, and he bit back his smile. “So you think your mom worked in this building?” he asked once he’d caught up to Keith, who was waiting for them by the door. Keith shrugged.

“I mean, she taught astrophysics at Altea Tech, so this is the best bet.” Keith furrowed his brow, looking like he was thinking something over. 

“What is it?” Shiro asked. Keith furrowed his brow further, but then he took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders. 

“When I was in the observatory, it was kind of like I could feel my mom’s presence, like she was there. The same thing happened at Alfor’s too. I remembered things, I remembered _being_ with them. I was hoping -” Keith paused, tightening his arms across his chest. “I wanted to go in here and see if I could find that feeling again.” Keith kicked a rock on the ground. “It’s _stupid_ -”

“Hey,” Shiro said, putting a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “It’s not, okay? I think your mom would be happy that you’re here.” Keith looked up at him with wide, unknowing eyes, and slowly nodded his head.

“Yeah, I think so too.” Then he clenched his fists and opened the door, stepping inside. “Try to keep up, Lance,” Keith called over his shoulder, and Shiro heard Lance make a noise of protest behind them. 

“Why am _I_ the one being singled out?” Lance asked, and Hunk patted his shoulder and moved past him to step into the building, Shiro stepping inside as well. Lance shook his head. “Él si que me esta dando la lata hoy,” he said dryly, but there was a fond smile on his lips. 

 

 

Shiro didn’t know how he ended up losing track of them. One moment Shiro was looking through the window of one of the chemistry labs, watching as someone in a lab coat and goggles began to pour a dark green liquid into a flask, and the next Keith and Lance were gone, Hunk the only one left standing next to him, giving him a sheepish smile.

“They wanted to go on ahead,” Hunk explained, rubbing the back of his neck. Shiro gave him an unamused look. Then he sighed and shook his head.

“Those two -” he paused, looking back at Hunk. “Lance isn’t -?” he stopped again, trying to find the right words. “You can’t tell Keith I told you this, because he might actually murder me in my sleep, but - he really likes Lance.” Hunk nodded his head, not looking like this was news to him. Shiro didn’t expect that it would be. “And I don’t think he’s really been interested in anyone before. He tends to be pretty closed off.” Shiro stopped again, worrying at his lip as he looked through the glass window. “Lance isn’t going to break his heart, right?” He was met with silence for a long moment.

“I’m -” Hunk exhaled. “I’m not sure, Mr. Shirogane. Lance can be all over the place with his emotions sometimes. He has a lot of love to give, which is one of his strong suits, but it can also cause some hurt, to himself and to others.” Then Hunk ‘s gaze became more serious as he looked through the lab window. “But he cares about Keith. I think he’ll do whatever he can to protect him, and his feelings.” Shiro looked at Hunk, giving him a small smile.

“That’s good to hear, thanks Hunk.” Shiro paused. “And you can call me Shiro, at least when we’re not at school. I think we’re there.” Hunk grinned at him, nodding his head. Then Hunk seemed to remember something.

“Since we’re on the subject of relationships,” Hunk began slowly. “What Lance said about Adam - Dr. Wadley - about him liking Allura -” 

“Hey!” Lance called, and they both turned their heads to see Lance standing at the other end of the hall, waving his arm. He hurried down the hall and towards them. “I told Keith not to but he insisted and then he managed to break the lock and I tried to follow him but he’s a _slippery_ one so I thought I should -” Lance said in a rush, and Shiro’s eyes widened.

“ _Lance,_ ” he said firmly, and Lance stopped, quickly closing his mouth and looking at him with wide, panicked eyes. “Where is Keith?” Lance gave him a sheepish smile and looked over his shoulder, pointing to the doorway at the end of the hall that read, _Hallway to Experimental Labs: Restricted Access Only_. Shiro swore under his breath and moved past Lance and Hunk, heading down the hall.

“You two stay here,” Shiro instructed. Lance began to protest, but Hunk put a hand on his shoulder and he stopped, slumping his shoulders. Shiro made it to the door, looking down both ends of the hall, and opened it, stepping inside.

It looked like a normal hallway. It was long, the ceiling was lined with florescent lights, the floor was made of beige tiles. It looked liked most of the other hallways on campus, and yet Shiro had never been here before. He doubted many people had. Shiro was surprised that the door was unlocked, but when he thought about it it wasn’t all the unsurprising. You didn’t break rules at Galra U. 

As he continued down the hall he spotted a door that was slightly ajar, the lock looking like it was broken. Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose and took a moment to think. He read the small sign next to the door. _Records_. That explained why Keith broke in, he was probably hoping to find information on his mom. He checked this hallway, making sure that it was empty, and stepped inside. 

The room was dimly lit, the only sound that could be heard was the whirring of the computer, the glow from the screen barely illuminating the corner where it stood. Then Shiro could hear a rustling coming from further in the room - the room was a lot longer than Shiro expected. He pressed further in, walking between two rows of shelves. Then he saw a small circle of light at the other end, light the flashlight on a phone, and the rustling grew louder. He walked forward quietly. There was a shadowy figure, but he couldn’t tell if it was Keith. Then he bumped into a box that was sticking out from one of the shelves and let out a quiet curse. In that moment the light turned off and the rustling stopped. Shiro clenched his fists and stepped forward. 

“Keith?” he dared to asked. Nothing. Then a breath later a light shined in his eyes, and he held up his arms, taking a step back. 

“Shiro?” Keith asked, and the light was directed away from him. Shiro blinked the spots from his eyes and looked at Keith, who was standing in front of him with something tucked under his arm and -

“You had your knife with you the whole time?” Shiro asked, his voice a few notes higher than usual. Keith shrugged, lowering his knife. Shiro’s eyes widened. “Where were you even keeping that?” Then they could hear a pair of voices coming from the entrance to the room.

“Why is the lock on this door broken?” a voice asked. 

“Nothing else seems disturbed,” another voice said. Then there was a sigh. “With all of the money put into this project, I can’t believe that we haven’t gotten proper security -”

“That’s not important right now. Check the back room.” The voices stopped speaking and Shiro could hear footsteps coming their way. He grabbed Keith’s arm and took him to the back of the room where the two lines of shelves ended, taking a right and moving to hug the wall. He stopped them and they listened. The footsteps seemed to be coming from where they had just been. He led Keith up the wall and back towards the front of the room, holding his breath. He could see lights moving around on the other side of the room. The door they had come through was clear. He quickly moved Keith through the door and practically dragged Keith into the lit hallway, his heart pounding. 

“We need to leave. _Now_ ,” Shiro said, and Keith nodded his head, jaw clenched. They hurried down the hall, back the way they’d came, and opened the door back into the main lab space. Thankfully no one was there. Shiro took a few steps and peered down the hall to see Hunk and Lance standing where Shiro had left them, having a serious conversation about something. “Hunk! Lance!” Shiro called. Both of them whipped their heads towards Shiro. Their eyes widened slightly when they saw his expression. “We’re leaving,” he said. They took a look at each other, and then they hurried to join Shiro and Keith. The four of them made their way out of the building and into the sunlight, and then they made a beeline for the car. Shiro hadn’t realized that he was holding onto Keith’s sleeve the entire time until they reached the Subaru. He let go of him and unlocked the car. They all hurried inside. He turned on the engine and pulled out, going as fast as he dared through campus and back on the road. He didn’t realize how tightly he was gripping the wheel until his hands began to hurt. He took a long breath, slumping his shoulders a little. He glanced at Keith, who was sitting in the passenger’s seat, and he finally saw what Keith was holding under his arm. It looked like a thick file.

“Did you steal that?” Shiro asked, Keith turned his body away from him and towards the window. 

“It has my mom’s name on it, so it should belong to me,” Keith mumbled, and Shiro let out an exasperated noise. 

“Keith! You can’t just - you broke into - I know you never listen to me but this is -!” Shiro began, shaking his head and letting out a laugh of disbelief. 

“I do listen,” Keith protested.

“No, you _don’t_ !” Shiro argued. “You just keep pushing and pushing me but this is too far! You can’t just make rash decisions like this! You could’ve gotten caught, you could’ve gotten Lance or Hunk in trouble! They could’ve called Altea Tech and told them that you trespassed, and then any chance you had of going there would be _gone_ .” Shiro took a deep breath, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. The car was silent. He felt a stab of guilt, but he refused to back down. Keith _needed_ to understand. “Our deal is off,” Shiro said quietly, and Keith shifted in his seat to look at him.

“Shiro -!” 

“No! You don’t get to try and change my mind. You’re not allowed to go to -” he looked in the rearview mirror, seeing how Lance and Hunk were listening to their conversation with wide eyes. “You aren’t allowed to go _there_ anymore.” 

“This isn’t fair!” Keith protested. “You know how important it is to me!”

“ _You_ are important to me, Keith! You’re more important to me than this mystery you’re trying to solve!” Keith clenched his jaw and turned back towards the window, saying nothing more. Lance and Hunk kept silent as well. Shiro sighed and looked at the road.

Maybe he was being too harsh, but he was so _angry_ right now. He hadn’t been this angry since - it was then that he realized how fast he was driving, that they were flying down the highway, and his eyes widened. He quickly eased up on the gas and they slowed. He heart was beating fast. He couldn’t let his emotions take control of him like that.

He managed to steady his breathing as he drove them home, dropping Lance off at Hunk’s house. 

“See you later,” Lance said quietly to Keith, but Keith didn’t say anything. He just kept looking out the window. Hunk put a hand on Lance’s shoulder and they went inside. 

“Keith -” Shiro finally said as he drove them back to their apartment. He could hear the tiredness in his own voice.

I don’t want to talk,” Keith said, and Shiro sighed.

“Please, Keith -”

“I wish I never met you!” Keith yelled, his tone ragged, like he was holding back tears. He faced more towards the window and hugged his arms to his chest, the file tucked against him. Shiro felt like throwing up his lungs. His throat burned, but he swallowed it down.

They drove the rest of the way home in silence.

 

 

Shiro had to pick up some things that he left in his office. He knocked on Keith’s door, letting him know where he was going, but he didn’t get a response. By the time Shiro made it to the high school he felt like he’d swallowed five bricks. All he wanted to do was sleep, and to pretend like this day never happened. He thought today would be good for Keith, that it would good for them to take a break. But Shiro always managed to make the wrong decisions. He should’ve realized that this one wouldn’t work out any better. 

Dora wasn’t at her desk when he made his way to his office. He wasn’t surprised, classes ended a little less than an hour ago. He unlocked his office door and found his briefcase sitting on his chair. He sat down, taking a moment to check his emails, and then he stood up, holding his briefcase and making his way out of the guidance department and down the hall. His footsteps seemed heavier than usual. He ran a tired hand through his hair. How was he going to fix this? They’d never fought like this before. This was _his_ fault -

“Shiro?” a voice asked, and Shiro turned to see Adam standing in the doorway of his classroom, looking at Shiro in confusion. Today he was wearing a dark orange sweater vest with integral signs stitched in with white thread. 

“Hey, Adam.” Shiro said, hearing how defeated his voice sounded. Adam furrowed his brow in concern and took a step forward. He reached out a hand but stopped, adjusting his glasses instead.

“Are you okay?” Adam asked, and Shiro scoffed.

“I’m better than ever.” Adam’s brow furrowed further and he crossed his arms.

“Shiro,” he began, a warning in his tone. Shiro sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Keith and I - we got into a fight,” Shiro explained, and Adam’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “And it - it went too far.” Shiro laughed, a hollow, sad laugh. “And I don’t know what to do.”

“Hey,” Adam said, taking a step forwards and into the hall. He put his hands on Shiro’s shoulders and waited for Shiro to meet his gaze. He looked at Shiro for a long moment, and then an idea seemed to pop into his head. “Meet my dog.” Shiro looked at him in confusion.

“What?” Adam smiled, letting go of Shiro’s shoulders.

“Remember when I told you about my corgi? I’m going home to feed him. How about you come along?” Adam asked. Shiro continued to look at him dumbly and Adam’s cheeks heated up. He looked away, fiddling with the hem of his sweater vest. “I mean, only if you want to. I’m not trying to kidnap you or -” Shiro let out a laugh, and then he smiled. 

“No, I mean, yeah, I’d love to meet your dog.” Something shined in Adam’s eyes as he beamed at Shiro. 

“Okay, I just need to grab my briefcase. Wait here,” Adam said. Shiro watched as he went into his classroom, closing the door. Shiro could’ve sworn he heard what sounded like a cry of victory coming from inside, and a moment later Adam was back in the hallway with his briefcase, locking the door to his classroom. He cleared his throat and began walking down the hall. Then he stopped and turned to look at Shiro, who was still standing where he was, watching him. Adam smiled and something fluttered in Shiro’s chest. “Are you coming?” Shiro watched him for another long moment, and then he broke into a smile of his own, moving to join Adam. 

“I like your sweater vest,” Shiro observed. Adam laughed.

“Why thank you.”

 

 

Shiro didn’t know what he was expecting Adam’s apartment to be like, but once he saw it he knew that it was a perfect fit. It was simple and organized. There were a few bookshelves built into the wall. The kitchen had a cute orange tea kettle on the stove. The couch was a dark brown, worn leather one. The place looked lived in, and cared for. 

“Attie!” Adam called as he walked further into the apartment, putting his briefcase on the coffee table next to the couch. Shiro could hear the patter of paws coming from what must be Adam’s bedroom. Adam’s bedroom. Shiro tried to ignore how that simple fact made his cheeks heat up. Suddenly a small corgi bounded into the room. Adam kneeled on the floor and the corgi managed to wiggle into his arms, licking his face. Adam laughed and snuggled the dog closer. “Dork,” he said fondly. Then he turned to look at Shiro, who was watching with wide eyes, his face burning now.

 _They’re so cute._ The thought snuck to the front of Shiro’s mind before he realized it. Then Adam lifted his corgi in the air, like he was presenting him to Shiro. 

“This is Atlas, or Attie, as I like to call him.” The name sounded familiar, like he’d heard someone else use the name before, but not for a dog - but Shiro figured he was just remembering when Adam was talking about his dog back at Alfor’s. It did feel like a long time ago. The dog - Atlas - wiggled in Adam’s grip, wagging his tail and panting as he looked at Shiro. Shiro smiled and moved to join Adam on the floor, folding his legs under him. Adam handed him over and Shiro held the corgi in his arms, the corgi immediately licking his face. Shiro laughed.

“Kosmo isn’t much of a licker,” Shiro explained, scratching Atlas behind the ears. Atlas booped his nose against Shiro’s, and Shiro smiled. Then he met Adam’s gaze. Adam was watching, his lips parted slightly and a rosiness in his cheeks. Then he quickly adjusted his glasses and moved to stand. 

“Want some tea?” he offered while Shiro continued to pet Atlas on the hardwood floor.

“That would actually be great, Adam, thanks,” he said, smiling up at him. Adam’s blush deepened and he turned as he headed for the kitchen, saying something under his breath. “What?” Shiro asked. 

“Um, is mint okay?” Adam asked, filling the tea kettle with water. 

“It’s my favorite, actually,” Shiro said, and Adam nodded his head once, reaching up to grab his tea bags, which he seemed to keep on the top shelf. Shiro had a good view of Adam’s shoulders. They were broad. The muscles in his arm flexed as he got his hand around the box, and Shiro swallowed and look away. Atlas was now laying in Shiro’s lap, his head resting on Shiro’s knee. Shiro began to pet his head, smiling down at him. 

“I was going to suggest that we sit on the couch, but it looks like Attie has already decided where we’ll sit,” Adam observed, coming back to sit across from Shiro. Shiro laughed.

“I feel like I’ve been chosen,” Shiro confessed, and Adam laughed behind his hand, watching his dog, who seemed to have fallen asleep. 

“I’m tempted to say that you should be honored, and that Attie is very picky, but that wouldn’t be very true,” Adam confessed. “He’s kind of a hoe.” Shiro’s shoulders shook with laugher. 

“Kosmo gets along with everyone too, but Keith’s definitely his favorite,” Shiro explained. Then his smile fell. He left Keith in his room, maybe he should check on him -

“I know that analyzing people is kind of your job, but would it be okay if I took a shot at it?” Adam asked, and Shiro looked at him in surprise. Adam was looking at the floor, fidgeting with his sweater.

“Go ahead,” Shiro said, finding himself waiting for Adam’s answer, ready to hang on every word. He wasn’t used to this. Adam took a breath and met Shiro’s gaze, a small smile on his lips. 

“You’re impossibly hard on yourself,” Adam began, and Shiro held his breath. “You want to do right by Keith, by everyone you care about, but you constantly second-guess your decisions. You’re patient, and logical, and _loving_ -” Adam took a shaky, nervous breath, leaning towards Shiro. “But you don’t think that you’re good enough, and I wonder what it’ll take to finally convince you that you are, that you’re even _more_ than that,” Adam said. Shiro looked at him with wide eyes, and realized that he’d stopped petting Atlas. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was at a loss for words. Then he let out a short, surprised laugh, and shook his head. 

“Are you sure that you didn’t get a PhD in psychology as well?” Shiro asked, and Adam smiled.

“Not to my knowledge.” Adam stopped, looking thoughtful. “I just felt like someone needed to tell you that you’re doing a great job, Shiro. We’re still young, we’re still trying to figure out what _we_ want from life, and yet you’ve dedicated yourself to helping others figure out their purpose. You’re helping raise a teenager into becoming who _he’s_ meant to be. It’s - a lot.” With that the kettle began to whistle and Adam moved to stand once more, walking over to the stove. The whistling stopped. Shiro furrowed his brow, scratching behind Atlas’ ears as he waited for Adam to come back. He was sitting back down a few moments later, two mugs in hand. He offered one to Shiro, and Shiro took it gratefully. He watched Adam blow on his own mug, steeping the bag that rested inside. Shiro thought about what happened earlier today, about how Keith’s mom was connected to Galra U, about the restricted room full of files, about all of the things that didn’t quite add up in Shiro’s life. 

The things that he was afraid to face.

“Adam,” Shiro began, his voice quiet. “If you knew that you had to do something that’s dangerous, something risky, but you also knew that it would help people you care about - would you think it’s worth it? Even if it could put them at risk too?” Adam let out a short laugh, what almost looked like a secretive smile on his face as he looked down at his mug.

“I’m not quite sure if it’s worth it, in the end,” Adam confessed. “I’m not sure if you can know that until it’s over. But I will say,” he paused, looking up at Shiro. “Sometimes you don’t have a choice. It’s something you just have to do.” He stopped again, looking back down at his mug. “My brother was the one who taught me that.” Shiro looked at him in interest.

“I didn’t know you have a brother.” Adam’s jaw clenched.

“Yeah, but he’s not around anymore,” Adam explained. Then he looked up at Shiro and smiled. “I guess my point is that older brothers can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, they can set a pretty high standard, but a lot of the time we can’t help but look up to them. And we hate disappointing them.” He waited for Shiro to understand.

“Oh,” Shiro finally said. Now it was his turn to look at his own mug. 

“There’s a good chance that Keith’s more mad at himself than he is at you,” Adam explained, taking a sip from his mug. “Just make sure to check your shampoo bottles when you get home - last time I was mad at my brother I replaced all his hair care products with mayonnaise.” Shiro let out a surprised laugh, and Atlas woke up, his tail thumping against the floor as he watched them. 

“You didn’t,” Shiro said, and Adam grinned behind his mug. Shiro gave him a nod of approval. “I wouldn’t have thought you were the vengeful type,” he teased. Adam shrugged.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Shiro thought about that, realizing that Adam was right. Outside of their jobs what did Shiro really know about Adam? 

“Well, I know some of the most important things,” Shiro offered, his knees bumping against Adam’s as he shifted a little on the floor, being careful of Atlas. He didn’t realize how close the two of them were sitting. “I know that you’re kind, and hardworking, and that you give good advice, even when people don’t seem to want it.” He gave Adam a dry smile and Adam scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You also care a lot about your students, and they love you - _and_ respect you - which isn’t an easy combination to have,” Shiro continued. “You’re patient too, but you don’t second-guess yourself like I do. You’re steady. You’re someone people can depend on, that _I_ have found myself depending on,” Shiro stopped, his eyes widening slightly as he looked down at Atlas’ sleeping form. Everything he said about Adam was true, but he never really gave himself a moment to consider all of those things. He reminded Shiro of someone else he was just beginning to get to know, another person who made his heart beat faster than normal. He met Adam’s gaze, and saw that Adam was looking at him with wide eyes. His face heated up.

It looked like he had a type. 

The next moment Adam was moving closer to him, leaning in, slowly. Atlas squirmed out of Shiro’s lap and made his way back into Adam’s room. Shiro looked up and met Adam’s eyes, then down at his parted lips.

“Shiro,” Adam said, sounding a little breathless, a little unsure. Shiro licked his lips and kept watching him. He found himself putting a hand on Adam’s chest, and then balling his sweater vest with his fist. That brought Adam closer, until they were almost nose to nose. “Shiro,” Adam said again, even quieter, like his voice was about to break. He moved his head slightly to the left, and Shiro could feel one of Adam’s hands resting on his thigh. Shiro nodded his head slowly, still looking at Adam’s lips. It was like Adam had his own gravity, pulling Shiro in. All of those feelings that Shiro tried to ignore, that initial attraction, the way Adam’s smile formed, the way he laughed, the way he looked at Shiro and seemed to really _see_ him - Shiro had tried so hard to keep it professional for Keith’s sake. No, for his _own_ sake. 

Because he was afraid of the risk. He was afraid of the rejection. He was afraid of having another person leave him.

But maybe, just this once, he didn’t have to be safe. 

Or maybe, Adam was the safety he’d been searching for. 

“Adam,” Shiro breathed. In that moment he remembered Pilot, although it was hazy amongst all the other thoughts running through Shiro’s mind. He’d almost kissed Pilot, too. He liked Pilot, too. 

But it was Adam who was here. It was Adam who had always been here. 

“Wait,” Adam said suddenly, and it was like a bucket of cold water had been poured on Shiro’s head. He let go of Adam’s sweater, and Adam pulled away, moving to sit back down. His cheeks were redder than usual as he ran a hand through his hair, avoiding Shiro’s confused gaze. He looked at his hands in his lap, and then finally at Shiro. “What about Allura?” 

Shiro’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. Right, Allura. He’d almost forgotten about what Lance had told him. “The two of us aren’t dating,” Shiro explained. Adam’s eyes widened, and Shiro felt like he’d swallowed tacks. 

“But at Balmera’s -” Shiro shook his head.

“We were just catching up. We’ve never dated and we never will date, so -” Shiro took a deep breath. “I won’t be mad if you ask her out. She _did_ say she likes being single, though,” Shiro added, a bitter smile on his lips. Adam continued to look at him with wide eyes. 

“Allura?” Adam asked, not seeming to understand.

“Lance told me that you like her,” Shiro explained. “But don’t be too hard on him, he didn’t mean to say it.” Adam let out a small noise, his mouth open slightly in shock, and then he shook his head.

“No, _Shiro_ -” Then Shiro’s phone buzzed. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and his eyes widened as he read the message at the top. 

“I - I need to head back,” Shiro said, quickly moving to stand. He began looking around the apartment for his stuff. Then he remembered that he didn’t bring anything in. Everything besides his phone and his keys he’d left in his car, and his car was parked outside next to Adam’s. He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m _sorry_ I -”

“Hey,” Adam reaching out to grab Shiro’s wrist. Now he was standing, too. “It’s okay.” Adam searched his eyes, looking at him in concern. “I just need you to know that -” Then Adam stopped, seeing Shiro’s frantic expression. He took a breath, a sad smile on his face. “Nevermind, it can wait.” Shiro gave him a grateful smile in return, even though he still felt like his insides were being twisted by Keith’s knife, and he felt something nudge against his leg. He looked down to see Atlas staring up at him, his tail thumping against the floor. Shiro scratched behind his ears and then he made his way to the door, opening it. He stopped in the doorway, turning to face Adam, wanting to say something. Adam had his mug in his hands, and what looked like an almost pained expression on his face. “I hope everything’s okay.” Adam said, and Shiro nodded his head once. 

“Me too,” Shiro said quietly, and then, a breath later, “thank you, for talking to me. With that he walked into the hall, closing the door behind him. He leaned against the wall for a moment, running a hand through his hair. 

He was such an idiot. He’d fallen in love with two guys, two guys who both had their eyes on someone else. His father was right - being safe was the best option. It was the only option for Shiro, at least, especially when it came to love. Then he lifted his phone to read the message again. He wasn’t sure if being safe was possible when it came to Keith, however. He took a breath and headed for his car, pulling his keys out of his pocket. Keith had sent him a simple message, one that left Shiro’s mind racing with question as he drove home. 

_I think my mom’s alive._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is beginning to wrap up! I'm ready to unfold this mystery for you guys!
> 
> Also I hope you guys enjoy the broganes. I'm a little worried it's too much, but I promise there will be a lot more adashi in the next chapters!
> 
> Also also, I think it's important to note that the next thing Adam says when Shiro closes the door to his apartment is: I'm going to kill Lance.
> 
> Lol
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	7. Lap Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys like this chapter! school is starting for me tomorrow (please send some good vibes my way i need them lol) so i'm not sure if i'll be able to post the next few chapters at my usual schedule, but i'll try and get them done soon! it's almost over!

Shiro hurried down the hall towards his apartment, finding Mrs. Han standing outside her door. 

“Good evening, Takashi. You look like you’re in a rush,” Mrs. Han commented, giving him a friendly smile. Shiro stopped by her door, rubbing the back of his neck and stealing a glance at his own door. He knew that Keith was waiting for him, but he didn’t want to be rude to Mrs. Han. 

“Not in too much of a rush that I can’t say hello to you, Mrs. Han,” Shiro said with a smile, and Mrs. Han laughed.

“You’ve always been quite the charmer, Takashi. I still can’t imagine how a kind young man like yourself is still single.” Shiro’s cheeks heated up, turning his face away as he tried not to think about how close Adam’s lips had been to his own, how, if things had just been a little different, if Shiro had just acted a little faster, then maybe -

“I have everything I need, Mrs. Han,” Shiro ended up saying. Mrs. Han narrowed her eyes, looking him over for a moment.

“But not everything you want, it appears,” Mrs. Han said, and Shiro looked at her in surprise. She smiled and put a gentle hand on his arm, looking up at him. “Well, I don’t want to keep you.” She removed her hand and kept standing outside her door. Shiro looked at her in confusion.

“Are you not going inside?” Mrs. Han let out a laugh, waving her hand.

“I seem to have lost my key, and Dr. Han isn’t coming home for another hour, so I was going to wait here until he comes back,” she explained. 

“Mrs. Han, I’m not going to let you just stand outside,” Shiro said. “You can come wait in my apartment until he gets here.”

“Oh Takashi,” Mrs. Han said, reaching up to place a hand on his cheek. “You really are too kind.” Shiro smiled.

“I mean it, Mrs. Han. You’re always looking out for me and Keith. I’d love to return the favor.” Mrs. Han adjusted her grip on her large purse, nodding her head.

“Okay. Thank you.” Shiro nodded his head once and went over to his door, unlocking it and gesturing for Mrs. Han to come inside. She gave him a smile and stepped into his apartment, Shiro moving inside as well and closing the door. In that moment Keith hurried out of his room, his hair wild and his eyes wide.

“Shiro where have you  _ been _ I looked through that file I took and -” Keith’s eyes widened further when he saw Mrs. Han and he quickly shut his mouth, running his hands through his hair to tame it and clearing his throat. “Hello, Mrs. Han.”

“Hello, Keith, dear. You seem to have a lot of energy tonight,” Mrs. Han commented. Keith glanced at Shiro, and then back at Mrs. Han. 

“Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that.” He looked at Shiro again, and Shiro just shrugged his shoulders.

“Please make yourself at home, Mrs. Han.” 

“I think that I will,” Mrs. Han said with a small smile, moving to sit on the couch. She patted the empty space next to her, looking at Keith. Keith looked at her warily. She patted the couch more forcefully, giving Keith a pointed look, and Keith’s eyes widened a fraction. The next moment he was moving to sit next to her. Then Mrs. Han looked at Shiro and pointed to the chair across from the couch. Shiro smiled and fulfilled her unspoken request, moving to sit in the armchair. A silence settled over them, and Shiro began to tap his fingers against his thigh, looking around his apartment. Keith was playing with the hem of his shirt, a slight furrow in his brow. Mrs. Han looked between the two of them, setting her purse down next to her. “You know, I still remember when you first moved into this apartment, Takashi,” Mrs. Han said, breaking the silence. Shiro lifted his head to look at her, a small smile on his lips. 

“I was a hot mess, wasn’t I?” Shiro asked, and Mrs. Han’s gaze softened. 

“I remember seeing you carrying those big boxes into the apartment all on your own and thinking to myself - ‘he’s so young, so young to be living alone’.” Shiro let out a laugh.

“A lot of people move into an apartment after they graduate.”

“Yes, but not many young people do it without their parents watching over them,” Mrs. Han replied. “Not many people have a mother who chooses to run away instead of take care of her son.” Keith raised his brows, turning to look at Shiro. Shiro looked away, towards the kitchen. 

“I’m lucky that I had such wonderful neighbors,” Shiro decided to say, and Mrs. Han nodded her head once. Then she turned towards Keith.

“You know, there was one time when Takashi put laundry detergent in the dishwasher by mistake -” Shiro groaned and covered his face with his hands.

“Keith doesn’t need to know this.”

“I think I do,” Keith said, a flash in his eyes as he turned to face Mrs. Han. “What happened?”

“The thing overflowed,” Mrs. Han said with a laugh. “There were suds everywhere. You want to know how I know that? Because I got a panicked knock at my door, and the next thing I knew I was hurrying into his kitchen with a bucket and my mop.” Keith smirked.

“You were my savior, Mrs. Han,” Shiro said, lifting up his head to look at her. Her eyes flashed in amusement as she tucked a short lock of dark brown hair behind her ear, folding her hands in her lap.

“I know.” Then she seemed to think something over. “But all things considered you handled the move very well. Dr. Han would always comment on how grown up you were, how capable. And then you took in a young man,” Mrs. Han said, and Keith tensed up. “And we wondered how you would be able to manage, and yet you were able to open your home and your heart -” Mrs. Han paused. “It’s all been so lovely to see. It’s been lovely to see how important you are to each other. It’s been lovely to see that you’re not on your own anymore.” Shiro noticed Keith shift awkwardly on the couch, not meeting Shiro’s gaze. Something constricted in Shiro’s chest.

_ I wish I never met you. _

Then Mrs. Han clapped her hands together and Keith and Shiro looked up at her in surprise. “But enough serious talk. How have you boys been? How were my dough sticks?”

“They were very good, Mrs. Han,” Shiro said politely. Keith was already looking away again, a slight furrow to his brow. Mrs. Han glanced at Keith and then looked at Shiro, a question in her eyes. Shiro frowned and looked away, his hand on the back of his neck. Mrs. Han nodded her head once. 

“It seems that I have come to visit at the perfect time,” Mrs. Han said. “Now spill, what’s going on between you two?”

“I-it’s nothing, Mrs. Han,” Shiro said, forcing a smile to try and placate her. She narrowed her eyes.

“Try again, Takakshi.” Shiro’s eyes widened a fraction and he looked at Keith, who was looking at the floor, his arms crossed. Even though Keith had texted him, he was still mad, that much was obvious. And Shiro couldn’t blame him. 

“It’s my fault,” Shiro confessed with a sigh, slumping his shoulders a little. “I -”

“Try  _ again _ , Takashi,” Mrs. Han repeated, her gaze steely. Shiro looked at her in surprise. He didn’t know what she wanted from him. That was the truth -

“It’s my fault,” Keith finally said, and Mrs. Han waited for him to continue. He rolled his eyes, still not looking at either of them. “I did something risky and almost got Shiro and I in trouble.” Mrs. Han raised a brow at that.

“And how did Takashi respond?” 

“Shiro told me how dangerous it was and that I never listen.”

“And was that an appropriate assessment?” Keith let out a frustrated noise.

“I  _ do _ listen I just - I  _ had _ to do it.” Keith crossed his arms tighter against his chest. “You wouldn’t understand. Neither of you do.” Mrs. Han let out a short hum. 

“Do not claim to know what I do and do not understand, Keith,” Mrs. Han said firmly, and Keith furrowed his brow further. “And do not claim to know everything that is inside Shiro’s heart either.” She paused. “Chī yī qiàn, zhǎng yī zhì. By falling we learn to go safely.” She looked at Shiro, and then back at Keith. “Have you ever considered that Takashi is worried about you taking so many risks, not because he’s never done anything dangerous before, but because he  _ has _ and knows the consequences?” Keith’s eyes widened slightly at that. “You’ve only known Takashi as the adult, as the caretaker. I have seen Takashi covered in suds from the dishwasher.” She let an amused smile grace her lips. “Takashi had the sense to ask someone with more experience for help. I recommend that you listen to those who have had the opportunity to fall quite a few more times than you, so that you can prevent yourself from falling unnecessarily.” Keith furrowed his brow again, looking down at the floor. Shiro thought he saw a flash of shame in his eyes. 

“Mrs. Han, I appreciate what you’re doing but it’s really -”

“And _ you _ ,” Mrs. Han interrupted, turning on Shiro. Shiro looked at her with wide eyes. “You are letting Keith walk all over you. You are so afraid of saying the wrong thing that you become stagnant. You need to trust your instincts. Keith does not listen because he has spent too much time with unreliable adults. You need to remind him that  _ you are not one of them _ .” She paused. “As I said before - you are too kind, Takashi. Sometimes you are too kind for your own good.” She nodded her head once, showing that she was finished, and Keith and Shiro looked at her with wide eyes. She smiled, and then something in her purse caught her eye. She reached down and pulled out a small key. “It seems like what I was looking for was here the whole time,” she observed. She met Shiro’s gaze and gave him a secretive smile. Then she moved to stand. “I’m going to make dinner. I’ll bring some of it over in an hour.” She made her way to the door.

“Mrs. Han you really don’t have to -” 

“One hour, Takashi! You two are still too skinny!” Mrs. Han opened the door, and the next moment she was gone, closing the door behind her. Shiro looked at the door for a long moment, trying to process everything that just happened.

“I didn’t mean it,” Keith said, and Shiro turned to look at him. “You know, that thing I said.” His brow was still furrowed and something was simmering behind his eyes as they were trained on the floor. Shiro’s gaze softened.

“I was hoping you didn’t.” Shiro paused. “Now tell me about what you found.” Keith met his gaze, and then he nodded his head, moving to stand.

“I’ll grab the file.” With that he headed towards his room, and came back soon after with the file in his hands. He moved to sit back on the couch, and he waved Shiro over to join him, looking impatient. Shiro scoffed and got up, sitting next to Keith on the couch. “I was reading through it, and at the beginning it was some documents and evaluations from when my mom was a professor there,” Keith explained, moving some of the papers aside. “And then I found this.” Shiro leaned over to look at the paper at the top of the file. It was full of medical terms that Shiro didn’t understand. Something involving trials and subjects and this chemical that Shiro had never heard of. The word adrenaline caught his eye. Shiro shook his head.

“I don’t understand, what does this have to do with your mother?” Keith pointed to the top left corner of the page and there was his mother’s name, and next to it was a date. Shiro’s eyes widened. “But that’s -”

“This is from last week,” Keith said. “This medical report on my mom was filled out  _ last week _ .” Shiro continued to shake his head, running a hand through his hair. 

“But that’s  _ impossible _ . How is she still alive? Where has she been -?” Shiro noticed that Keith’s hands were trembling slightly, his eyes burning as he held on tightly to the stack of papers. Shiro tried to dissect all of the emotions that were on Keith’s face, something he’d gotten better at doing ever since Keith moved in to live with him. There was confusion, fear, anger, but most of all -

There was a sense of betrayal. 

“Why did she leave? Why did she leave  _ me _ ? She had  _ seven years _ -” Keith’s shoulders shook with anger. 

“Hey,” Shiro said, putting a hand on his shoulder. His muscles were tensed, like he was ready to bolt any minute. “We don’t have all the answers yet. I’m sure that she didn’t mean to.” Keith scoffed and shook his head, looking away.

“Why can’t people stay? Why am I not good enough to get people to stay?” Keith asked, sounding frustrated as his voice broke. The pages began to crinkle in his hands as he held on to them tighter. 

“Keith, you’re more than good enough,” Shiro said. 

_ ‘You don’t think that you’re good enough, and I wonder what it’ll take to finally convince you that you are, that you’re even more than that.’ _

Adam’s words echoed in Shiro’s mind, but he shook them away. 

“People leave us, sometimes, and those exits aren’t easy, and they’re rarely ever fair, but most of the time - it’s not anyone’s fault. It just happens.”

“Was that the case with your mom? It just  _ happened _ ?” Keith asked, his voice bitter and his hair hiding his face. Shiro sighed.

“After my father had passed,” Shiro began slowly, looking at his hands in his lap. “My mother was a wreck. I decided to transfer to Galra U to be closer to home, closer to her, but no matter what I did it wasn’t good enough. She was too weighed down by grief.” Shiro sighed again. “By the time I graduated she was already living in Japan with my aunt. We’ve sent letters to each other over the years, but she’s never come back.” Keith shook his head, looking at Shiro in confusion.

“How can you be okay with that?” Shiro furrowed his brow.

“I’m not okay with it.” Shiro said firmly. She should’ve been strong enough to stay. She should’ve been there for him. They should’ve tried to salvage what they had left of their family, but instead she chose to tear it apart. He paused. “But I forgave her before she even packed her bags to leave.”

“Why?” Shiro turned to look at Keith, a small smile on his lips. 

“Because my dad had taught me that. Because being angry at her wasn’t going to get me anywhere.” Keith scoffed, shaking his head again.

“I don’t understand you most of the time.” Shiro laughed and slung an arm around Keith’s shoulders, Keith rolling his eyes. Then Shiro’s expression became serious. 

“Remember when I told you how I saw your parents race?” He felt Keith nod against him. “Your mom had gotten a call from your babysitter. You were sick, and she was so worried. It was that night that they stopped street racing, because they had something they loved more.  _ You _ .” Shiro paused. “You don’t push people away, Keith. You’re the kind of person people want to fight for.” Shiro looked down to see Keith’s head bent towards the floor, his hair still hiding his face. 

“I really didn’t mean the thing I said,” Keith said, and Shiro pulled Keith into a hug, Keith reaching to hug him back. 

“I know you didn’t.” Shiro could hear quite sniffles as Keith buried his head into Shiro’s shirt, but Shiro chose not to say anything about it. He just rested his chin against the top of Keith’s head and gave him all the time he needed. 

They were going to find out what happened to Keith’s mom. To the former champion of Altea Drive. Shiro was tired of living in the dark.

He wanted answers.

 

 

“I still don’t get why we couldn’t skip school today and go back to that lab,” Keith grumbled, shrugging his backpack on his shoulder and closing the car door. The two of them made their way towards the school.

“The people working there are probably on high alert since they discovered that broken lock. I know I always say this but we really do need to play this safe. We need a plan.”

“I  _ have _ a plan,” Keith protested. Shiro scoffed.

“Your plan is to set off explosions as a distraction, and then go inside with your knife and take out anyone in your way.”

“That could work!” Keith protested. Shiro rolled his eyes. 

“Maybe in a cartoon.” Keith pouted as he held on to the strap of his backpack, trudging ahead of him. They hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep last night, so Keith was grumpier than usual. But Shiro decided to give him a pass, due to the special circumstances of finding out that his mom is probably still alive and at Galra U.

Yeah. That was still a lot to process.

“Hey Keith! Hey Shiro!” Lance called, shutting the door to his car and hurrying over to them. The three of them made their way into the school building, walking down the hall. “What’s up with the dark circles?” Lance asked, looking at Keith’s face. Keith grunted something unintelligible and kept walking. Lance bit back his smile and poked Keith’s cheek playfully. “Okay, keep your secrets. Are you two coming to astronomy club tonight?”

“I didn’t know you guys were meeting,” Shiro said.

“Oh, Adam mentioned that he was planning a meeting for today a few days ago. He said that he was going to let you know -” Lance began to explain. 

“Well I saw him yesterday and he didn’t say anything. I guess he forgot,” Shiro said, fighting back his blush -  _ and _ his lingering disappointment. Lance’s eyes widened slightly.

“You and Adam were hanging out?” Shiro rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Yeah, and I should probably tell you that I might’ve let it slip about the whole ‘Adam-liking-Allura thing.” Lance’s eyes widened even further.

“Oh, um, does he know that I told you that?” Lance’s voice sounded more high-pitched than usual. Keith shot him a confused look as he yawned into his hand.

“Don’t worry, I told him not to be too hard on you. It was an honest thing to let slip,” Shiro assured him. Then he spotted Adam at the other end of the hall, talking to another one of the teachers. He must’ve felt Shiro’s gaze on him, because in that moment he turned and they locked eyes. There was something conflicted in Adam’s gaze as he gave Shiro a small wave. There was an uncertain smile on his lips. He said something to the other teacher, and then he made his way towards Shiro. It was then that he noticed Lance standing next to Keith, and his eyes narrowed. Shiro saw him mouth the word ‘ _ You _ ’ and Lance let out a squeak, hiding behind Keith’s backpack.

“I’m dead,” Lance said, peeking over Keith’s shoulder to see Adam stalking towards him. “Shit.” It was then that Lance made a break for it, pushing past students and towards the stairs. Adam was hot on his trail, but was careful to walk at an appropriate yet determined pace.

“Lance!” Adam called after him. Lance didn’t slow down and reached the stairwell, Adam close behind

“What was that about?” Keith asked, looking at the stairwell with tired, narrowed eyes. Shiro shook his head.

“I have no idea.” Then he looked down at Keith. “What do you think? Want to go to the meeting tonight?” Keith furrowed his brow.

“We should be planning -”

“We have plenty of time for that. You can make time to do something you love, Keith. You’ve earned it.” Keith worried at his lip, looking conflicted. “If you go to the meeting I’ll let you come with me to drop the Black Lion at _Alfor’s_. I think she belongs there instead of that storage unit.” Keith seemed to consider his offer. 

“Can we go to Altea Drive too?” Shiro frowned.

“I’ll have to get back to you on that one,” Shiro said slowly. Keith frowned as well, but then he nodded his head. 

“Okay.”

 

 

Shiro didn’t see Adam again for the rest of the school day, which, if Shiro was being honest, was probably partly due to the fact that Shiro had been avoiding him. He felt bad about it, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to talk about what had happened yesterday. Or what  _ almost _ happened. Or what Shiro  _ thought _ was going to happen - it was all very confusing, and kind of depressing on Shiro’s end, and he had enough to worry about with Keith and Galra U that he didn’t think that he could handle any other drama.

So now, as he and Keith got out of the car and spotted four figures standing by a telescope, he began to panic as he thought about what he was going to say when he saw Adam. 

“I was tired this morning, so my brain didn’t really process it in the moment,” Keith began, standing by Shiro’s car. “But did you say that you hung out with Adam yesterday?” Shiro sighed, nodding his head.

“Yeah, I bumped into him when I was leaving my office,” Shiro explained. Keith nodded his head slowly, looking out onto the football field.

“And he likes Allura?” Something constricted in Shiro’s gut.

“Yep.” Shiro felt Keith’s eyes on him. 

“How do they even know each other?” Keith asked, looking confused.

“They probably met at _Alfor’s_ ,” Shiro reasoned. He glanced at Keith, and saw the skeptical look in his eyes.

“He must go there a lot, then,” Keith finally said. Shiro thought about that for a moment. Keith had a point. But why would Adam need to go there so much? Just to see Allura? Something tugged at the back of his mind, like there was some piece that was out of place, and it only needed a small push to put it back - 

“Are you two just going to stand there?” a voice called from the football field, and Keith and Shiro looked over to see Pidge calling out to them, hands on her hips. Keith scoffed and headed towards the group, Shiro following his lead. Soon they made it to the center of the football field, where everyone was waiting for them.

“Hey guys, how’s it going?” Hunk asked, looking between Shiro and Keith. There was something wary in his gaze, and Shiro realized that the last time they’d seen Hunk Shiro and Keith hadn’t been on the best of terms.

“We’re great, Hunk,” Shiro assured him. Hunk looked at him for a moment, looking skeptical, but then he must’ve seen some sincerity in Shiro’s gaze because he nodded a moment later, looking pleased.

“I’ve decided not to hold a grudge against you for not inviting me yesterday,” Pidge sniffed, bending over to adjust the telescope.

“You know your mother wouldn’t have approved,” Shiro pointed out.

“I could’ve just said that I was visiting Matt,” Pidge said. “Did you see him?” Shiro shook his head.

“We did go to the research labs, but we were kind of in a hurry to leave,” Shiro explained. Pidge shrugged her shoulders.

“Knowing him he’s buried in his work. He’s already trying to plan his thesis.” Pidge straightened up, clasping her hands together. “Keith, care to do the honors again? I think it’s established that you’re better at this than I am.”

“Wait -” Lance began, looking surprised. “Pidge admitting that there’s someone better than her at something? I didn’t think I’d see the - oof!” Lance hunched over, Pidge having jabbed him in the ribs as she moved to get out of Keith’s way. Then she smiled at Keith and gestured towards the telescope, Lance shooting her a dirty look that she chose to ignore. Keith looked at the telescope for a moment, and then he shrugged and stepped up to it, moving the knobs on the sides and looking through the eyepiece. Hunk walked up to Shiro, and Shiro noticed a plate in his hands. 

“I made brownies today,” Hunk said, lifting the plate up a little for Shiro to see. They were cut into perfect squares, a little gooey, and full of chocolate chips. Shiro smiled and reached out to take one. 

“Yeah, they’re special brownies,” Pidge said, putting an elbow on Lance’s shoulder and waggling her eyebrows. Shiro’s hand froze, and Hunk let out an exasperated sigh.

“I didn’t put drugs in these,” Hunk assured him, his tone dry as he gave Pidge a look.

“I don’t know Hunk. You put a lot of love into your cooking, and your love is my drug,” Lance said. Now it was his turn to waggle his eyebrows. Hunk sighed again, and Shiro took a brownie.

“Thank you, Hunk,” Shiro said.

“Did you seriously just quote Ke$ha?” Keith asked, still looking through the eyepiece of the telescope. Lance pulled out his phone, beginning to scroll through something.

“Is that judgement I hear in your voice, Mullet?” Shiro noticed the beginnings of a smile on Keith’s face. 

“If you’re going to quote a Ke$ha song, at least pick ‘Tik Tok’,” Keith said. Lance grinned, still looking at his phone. 

“That song is too good just to quote. I think it deserves a live performance.” With that Lance tapped on his screen and a song started playing. Pidge groaned and covered her ears, while Hunk began to laugh. Lance pointed at Keith and Keith caught the movement, straightening his stance and looking at Lance in surprise.

“Wake up in the morning feeling like P-Diddy,” Lance began to sing with the music, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Hey what’s up girl!” Hunk called, and Lance grinned at him, moving to wrap his arm around Hunk’s shoulders. 

“Grab my glasses I'm out the door I'm gonna hit the city.”

“Oh my god,” Keith began, covering his face in embarrassment as he bit back his smile. Lance moved towards Keith and Keith began to laugh, holding up his arms in defense.

“Before I leave brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack,” Lance continued, reaching out his arms for Keith. 

“No! Get away!” Keith protested, but he was still smiling. Lance managed to get his arms around him and pulled him into a hug.

“'Cause when I leave for the night I ain't comin' back!” Lance declared, and Pidge groaned.

“This is it. I’m in hell. I’m in hell or this is a simulation designed to torture me,” Pidge decided, a pained expression on her face. Shiro heard Adam laugh and turned to look at him. He was shaking his head, watching as Keith tried and failed to squirm out of Lance’s grip. Then he noticed Shiro looking at him and met his gaze, a smile on his face. Shiro found himself smiling back. Then Shiro cleared his throat and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck and taking a bite of his brownie. It was almost good enough to distract him from the tension in the air.

“Okay, I think Keith’s endured enough,” Hunk said, and Lance grinned, turning off the music and putting his phone in his pocket. His arm was still around Keith’s shoulders. 

“So Keith, now that I’ve warmed everyone up with my amazing performance -” Pidge groaned again, grabbing a brownie from Hunk’s plate and taking a bite. “How about you tell us what you’ve found?” Keith gave Lance an exasperated look, but Shiro could see the small smirk on his face, the way his dark violet eyes glowed as he looked at Lance. That was a look of love if Shiro had ever seen one.

“Beta Monocerotis,” Keith said, crossing his arms. “It’s located near the Orion constellation. It’s one of the well-known triple star systems.” Lance raised a brow at that.

“First double stars and now triple stars? It’s almost like you’re trying to impress me.” Keith rolled his eyes, but Shiro could spot the beginnings of a blush, even in the darkness. 

“The best things come in threes,” Keith offered, shrugging his shoulders as his expression became more guarded. Shiro looked down at the grass, trying not to take that as a personal jab. Of course Keith would be better off if he still had his parents, if they were still a unit of three. Shiro could understand that more than most. It’s something him and Keith had in common.

“Sounds right to me,” Pidge said, shoving the rest of the brownie in her mouth and chewing as she stepped up to the telescope, bending a little to look through the eyepiece. She squinted her eye. “Which ones are which?” she asked, and Keith moved to stand next to her.

“If you look next to Orion’s belt you can see -” Keith began, and then Shiro felt someone nudge his shoulder.

“Hey,” Adam said quietly, now standing next to him. Shiro could feel his heart skip a beat. “Can we talk?” Shiro looked down at the grass again.

“I don’t know if there’s much to talk about.”

“Shiro, please?” Adam asked, and Shiro knew that he couldn’t say no when Adam sounded so earnest. He nodded his head, and Adam put a gentle hand on Shiro’s forearm, leading him a little apart from the group. Shiro looked to see that Hunk was at the telescope now, his mouth open in awe. Lance was playing with Keith’s hair as Keith rolled his eyes, a blush creeping up his neck that Lance didn’t seem to notice. Then Shiro looked back to see Adam already watching him. He was worrying at his lip, looking like he was trying to figure out what to say.

“Adam -” Shiro began, letting out a sigh. Adam’s gaze flicked away from Shiro for a moment, and then back to look at him.

“I want to apologize,” Adam said. “I just - I saw the look on your face as you were walking down the hall and I wanted to help - and then I let my own emotions take over me and I made things more complicated for you -” Adam paused, taking a breath. “The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you, Shiro.” Shiro attempted a smile, nodding his head slightly.

“I know that, Adam. I appreciate you looking out for me.” Then Shiro sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve just had a lot on my mind, a lot of things that I need to figure out - I don’t think I’ve been myself lately.” Shiro paused. “I don’t think I know how to be myself anymore, who that person even is.” He shook his head, and Adam opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself. He pulled on his sleeves, shifting his stance and swallowing. 

“You have time, you know, to figure it out,” Adam began. “Just know that -” Adam stopped again, fixing his glasses and looking nervous. Shiro couldn’t help but notice how lovely Adam looked in the moonlight. How his skin seemed to glow, how his hair looked like honey. Adam bit his lip again and Shiro felt his cheeks heat up, his throat suddenly dry. Then Adam met Shiro’s gaze, looking determined. “The Shiro I know is pretty great.” Shiro looked at him with wide eyes, hoping that Adam couldn’t see his blush in the darkness. Then he let out a breathy laugh.

“Maybe you can introduce me sometime,” Shiro said, and Adam scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“You’re impossible, you know that?” Adam said, putting a hand on his hip. Shiro smiled. Then Adam’s expression became serious once more. “I also need to tell you something else.” The shift in tone made something in Shiro’s stomach drop. Adam rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not interested in Allura.” Shiro’s lips parted in surprise. 

“But -?”

“I like someone else, Shiro,” Adam said, giving Shiro a pointed look. There was something vulnerable in Adam’s eyes, like he was going to combust any second.

“Oh, um, do I know them?” Shiro asked. Adam looked at him for a long moment, and then he pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. He mumbled something under his breath, sounding exasperated. “Is - is it a teacher?” Shiro continued. Adam dropped his hand and gave Shiro a dumbfounded expression. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

“Shiro,” Adam began slowly, moving forward to put both of his hands on Shiro’s shoulders. Shiro looked at him in surprise. “The person I like - the person I’ve liked for a really long time, actually, since the moment I met them, really, is -”

“Hey are you guys going to look at these stars or what?” Pidge called. Adam whipped his head towards her, and her eyes widened when she saw his expression. She put her hands up in surrender and took a reflexive step back, saying nothing more. Adam sighed and hung his head, still holding onto Shiro’s shoulders. 

“Pidge is right. This is hell. Or we’re all in a simulation made to torture us,” Adam said quietly, sounding tired. Then he lifted his head to look back at Shiro. “Shiro, I -”

“Shiro! Control your kid he’s assaulting me!” Lance yelled, and Shiro looked to see Keith getting Lance into a headlock, a victorious grin on his face as Pidge managed to swipe Lance’s phone and turn off the music he’d started playing. Hunk was giving Adam a sympathetic look. Adam let go of Shiro’s shoulders and took a step back, taking a deep breath and putting his hands together in a prayer position. 

“Remind me to finish this conversation in an empty, locked room where no one can interrupt us,” Adam said, and Shiro lifted a brow.

“That sounds mildly threatening,” Shiro said, and Adam opened his eyes to look at him. 

“These kids will break me, Shiro. I’m calling it now.” Shiro let out a surprised laugh and nudged Adam’s shoulder, making his way back towards the kids. 

“Good thing you know an excellent counselor,” Shiro offered, and Adam smiled, shaking his head as he moved to join him.

 

 

It felt weird to be driving the Black Lion again, to see her headlights carve through the dark, empty streets as he made his way to _Alfor’s_. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Keith’s Nissan following close behind. It had been Keith’s idea to drive his car separately, since Shiro would be leaving the Black Lion with Allura. Shiro was wary to agree to it at first, since he wasn’t sure how he felt about Keith getting too comfortable driving that car, but he decided that it couldn’t cause too much trouble. He adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. 

Driving the Black Lion felt right - like home, almost - but at the same time it gave him this ansty, panicked feeling that made it also feel wrong. He eased up on the gas, taking a deep breath as he drove a little slower. He knew that Keith was probably frustrated by how slowly he was driving, but Shiro had made it very clear that they were going to go at his pace, and Keith had the sense to respect that. 

He had been driving down a road just like this that night, the night when the Paladin died and someone else took his place. The moon had been full and high in the sky. There wasn’t another car in sight. He’d been driving fast, faster than necessary but Shiro needed it like he needed air. He needed to know that he could drive fast, and leave road after road behind him. Sometimes he would have this fantasy where he would just drive and drive forever, until he found someplace new, someplace that was his, and he would stay there. He would never come back. It was a lot like the dream he had as a kid, when he wanted to find his own moon. Most of his life was marked by all the times he’d wanted to run away, but had been too afraid to do it.

He’d had a cold that night. His nose had been running all day, his throat had felt like sandpaper, his head had been pounding - it was bad enough that Shiro had gone to the infirmary, something he was usually too stubborn to do. They had given him cough medicine and some other pain meds to take home, and told him to rest. But Shiro couldn’t rest. He missed his father. Six months had passed, but he still missed him. 

It was the one thing he wasn’t fast enough to outrun. The loneliness. 

So Shiro couldn’t rest. He had to drive. That night he increased his speed more than he usually dared, even during races. He wanted the adrenaline rush, he  _ needed _ it. The next thing he knew his hands began to shake, this anger that must’ve been buried deep within him spiked, and it was like he was seeing red. The impact came shortly after, and he blacked out. The next thing he knew doctors and nurses were flitting around him, saying something about a young woman dropping him off and leaving before they could get her name. He woke up again in a hospital bed, IVs stuck in his arm and his head pounding even worse than it was earlier. He looked down and his eyes had widened when he saw that his arm was gone. A machine began beeping insistently and something tightened in Shiro’s chest, making it hard to breathe. A nurse ran in and looked at him with wide eyes, and then she called a doctor.

The third time Shiro came to he was still in the hospital bed. A doctor came in to tell him that he’d hit a tree with his car. That his car was missing. That his arm was gone. That his heart had stopped. Shiro had a hard time processing it all. 

And then the doctor asked him if there was anyone they could call, and that was the moment that hit Shiro at his core. 

No one had come to claim him, to see that he was okay, to wait at his bedside. 

And no one would.

He was alone. Completely alone.

A week later the hospital finally discharged him. They had alerted his university as to what had happened, and they were completely understanding, reaching out to Shiro to tell him to take some time off from his classes. To report to the infirmary for regular check-ups. It was a surprise, if Shiro was being honest. Later that day he went to _Alfor’s_ and when Allura saw him walk in she dropped the clipboard she was holding and ran to pull him into an embrace, crying into his chest.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. They said only family could go in, and the Black Lion -” Allura said between sobs, and Shiro tried to smile, rubbing her back. 

“It’s okay, Allura. I understand.” Shiro was reminded of how young she was. Only 17. She had just lost her father, and was trying to keep this business alive with Coran while she was finishing high school and planning for college. She was doing her best. “I’m guessing you’re the one who found me?” Allura nodded her head against Shiro’s chest. Then she pulled away, her eyes red from crying. She attempted a smile. 

“I made sure to fix her up for you,” Allura explained. “Coran did most of the work, really, but she’s going to be okay. The engine needed to be replaced and the hood of the car was badly damaged, but you’ll be able to drive her again.” Shiro clenched his jaw, nodding his head. 

“Can I see her?” Shiro asked. Allura’s eyes brightened.

“You can even take her home,” Allura said with a smile, and Shiro tried his best to smile back. 

He did end up taking the Black Lion. He put her in his storage unit, and it wasn’t for a while that he even opened that door again. He stayed away from Altea Drive. He saw the article about the Paladin’s disappearance and shoved it in an office drawer. He ran away. 

But the thing he regretted the most - he never gave Allura a proper goodbye.

He was pulling into the _Alfor’s_ parking lot now, Keith pulling in behind him. The lot was empty, and they continued on until they reached the back lot, where many of Allura’s nightly customers would park. They parked their cars and stepped out, Allura already outside to meet them.

“I saw you from the window,” Allura said, walking up to the Black Lion with excitement in her eyes. She ran a gentle hand across the car’s hood. “Oh how I’ve missed this beautiful girl.” Keith walked over to join them and it was then that she noticed his car. Her eyes widened slightly, and she was still. “A Nissan 730z? How’d you get that?” she asked quietly. Shiro turned to face Keith, crossing his arms.

“Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever asked how you managed to afford a car.” Keith shrugged his shoulders.

“I ran into the slime bag that used to foster me, and he gave me this car out of the goodness of his heart.” Shiro gave him an unconvinced look, and Keith met his gaze, a smirk on his face.

“I blackmailed him into giving it to me. I was only living there for a few months but I was able to find some papers that the IRS would love to see.” Shiro just let out a tired sigh. Allura looked pensive

“I would tell you that blackmailing is wrong, but that guy was a real douchebag so I’ll let it slide this once.” Keith grinned. 

“My father had a car just like that,” Allura said quietly, clasping her hands in front of her. “For a moment you had me wondering -” Then she stopped, smiling at Keith. “It’s a good choice.” Then Coran came out of the shop, giving them an enthusiastic wave.

“Why, hello boys!” Coran said, coming to join them. He put his hands on his hips, twirling his mustache as he looked at the Black Lion. “She looks to be in pretty good shape.”

“Coran can take the Black Lion to our ‘other’ garage,” Allura said, that gleam back in her eyes. Coran held his hand out towards Shiro and Shiro looked at him warily as he handed over his keys.

“Take care of my baby, Coran.” Coran let out a short laugh.

“I’ve managed tougher tasks than this, Shiro. There was one time when I was wrestling a particularly stubborn muffler, smoke was  _ everywhere _ , and -”

“Thank you, Coran,” Allura said, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. He grinned at her, giving her a wink before stepping up to the Black Lion.

“Nice to see you again, old friend,” he said quietly, and then he opened the car door and stepped inside. A moment later the engine whirred to life and he was carefully driving away from them and towards the garage. Over the years that garage had seen many street cars. It was more common when Alfor was running the place, when Altea Drive was more of a community full of people with a healthy competitive edge. Now it was full of hotheads looking to make a quick buck and to flex the money they already had with their expensive cars. There wasn’t a whole lot of trust, anymore. Shiro thought of Allura and Pilot. But there were some exceptions.

“Are you two going to the race tonight?” Allura asked, and Keith looked at Shiro expectantly. 

“We haven’t decided yet,” Shiro said, rubbing the back of his neck, and Keith crossed his arms, looking away. “But we do have some things to discuss with you.” Allura looked at him in interest.

“Come inside, then. Tonight’s been pretty quiet, what with the race and everything.” Then her eyes lit up. “Oh, maybe you can meet our new employee! He’s about to head out but I think we can catch him.” Shiro smiled.

“Sounds good to me.”

 

 

The interior was darker than it is during the day, the shadowy rooms washed in a blue florenscent glow. Shiro could hear the click of Allura’s heels as she led them to one of their back offices.

“Should we cover our faces?” Shiro asked, unsure if he should trust this new employee. Allura stopped, putting a finger to her chin.

“No, it’ll be okay,” she said after a pause. “I’ll just introduce you as friends who came to visit after hours,” Allura reasoned, giving Shiro a smile. “I trust him.” Then she continued onward, reaching the door at the end of the hall. She gave it a quick knock and stepped inside, her smile widening. “I’m glad that I was able to catch you before you left,” Allura said, walking into the office. Shiro heard a low chuckle.

“Well, I assumed you’ve already observed that when I start a project, it’s hard to get myself to stop working on it until it’s complete,” a voice said. Allura laughed.

“You’ve done more than enough tonight. You’ve earned a break, Lotor.” Shiro raised his brows, and he stepped into the doorway to see the Galra U student sitting at a desk, typing something in on a large computer. Lotor stopped typing and sighed, a small smile on his face. 

“I suppose you’re right.” He turned in his chair to face Allura, and then his gaze fell on Shiro. His eyes widened slightly. “Oh, we meet again.” Allura looked between the two of them in confusion.

“You two know each other?” Allura asked. Lotor smirked.

“I suppose it would be accurate to say that we  _ three _ know each other,” Lotor said, nodding his head towards Keith, who had just moved to join Shiro in the doorway. “At least, in a superficial sense.” 

“We met at Galra U, when we were touring the campus,” Shiro explained, and Allura nodded her head in understanding. 

“Well, then I suppose introductions aren’t needed,” Allura decided, smiling. “I guess we’ll let you go home, then.” Something in Lotor’s eyes flashed. He checked the watch on his wrist.

“I have a some time before I need to go,” Lotor began. “How about we talk some more? Maybe I can make us all some tea in the break room?”

“That’s not necessary -” Shiro began, shaking his head politely. Lotor smiled and moved to stand, logging off the computer.

“It’s not, but I’d very much like to. It’s always nice to talk with a Galra U alumnus. I’m always looking for post-graduation advice.” Then he looked at Keith. “And who knows? Maybe this is the moment Keith realizes that he was always meant to be a Galran.” Keith scoffed and crossed his arms. Shiro shot him a look and looked back at Lotor, smiling.

“I’m a guidance counselor, so I guess I can’t say no when someone wants advice,” Shiro offered, and Lotor’s smile widened, showing teeth.

“Excellent.”

 

 

Shiro watched as Lotor poured tea into the four mugs lined up on the counter, his back turned to them. Keith was leaning back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling and looking bored. Allura was sitting in the chair next to Shiro, her back straight and a smile on her lips.

“So the rest of the touring went well?” Allura asked Shiro. Shiro glanced at Keith, but it didn’t look like he was paying attention. 

“As well as to be expected. I think the kids really loved Altea Tech.” Shiro paused. “No offense, Lotor.” Lotor laughed, placing tea bags into the mugs. 

“No offense taken. Altea Tech is currently the superior school. I am not so prideful that I cannot admit that.” Allura had a somewhat smug grin on her face.

“How is Romelle?” Shiro asked, and Allura’s expression brightened.

“She’s really good! It was so nice catching up with her. It felt like I hadn’t seen her in ages, and yet, the moment we saw each other it was like we were back in college.” Shiro could’ve sworn he saw a slight blush on Allura’s cheeks as she refused to meet his gaze. He leaned back in his chair, a knowing smie on his face. She caught his gaze and scoffed, swatting his shoulder. He laughed.

“Did you pass along my message to Adam?” Allura asked. Shiro furrowed his brow.

“Yeah. It was kind of funny though. Lance told me that Adam was interested in you -” Allura’s brows shot up in surprise. “But then Adam told me that he  _ didn’t  _ like you like that, and that he likes someone else?” Keith was finally paying attention to the conversation, and Shiro shook his head. “I don’t know. It was kind of confusing. But he knows were not dating.” Shiro let a bitter smile grace his lips. “I’m still not convinced that Adam doesn’t like you though. I think he may be trying to cover up his tracks after Lance’s slip up, which I understand.” Allura’s eyes narrowed.

“ _ Lance, _ ” Allura said his name like she was invoking a curse. “Does he not understand how hard I’ve been working to get -”

“Hey what are you adding to our tea?” Keith asked, and Shiro’s attention shifted to Lotor, who stopped what he was doing and turned around. He held up a bottle filled with a thick, golden substance.

“Honey,” Lotor explained, an easy smile on his lips. Then he frowned. “Unless you don’t like honey?” Keith looked at him for a long moment, his expression hard to read.

“I like honey.” Lotor nodded his head, a smile still on his lips, and turned back around.

“You just thought that I was trying to poison you,” Lotor commented, sounding amused. Keith didn’t argue, and Lotor let out a laugh. “Understandable. I’ve been told that I have the kind of face that can be hard to trust.”

“After you saved our servers I trust you with my life,” Allura assured him. She turned to look at Keith and Shiro. “You know how I mentioned that we were upgrading our computer system?” Allura began, and Shiro nodded his head. “Well, our new software was halfway through installing when everything just _ crashed _ . And we have some pretty important, confidential information stored in our system, information back from when my father was running this place, so it would’ve been a  _ mess _ if we lost all of it.” Allura smiled at Lotor, who began to bring the mugs over to the table. “Thankfully Lotor was here to save the day.” Lotor moved to sit, a bashful expression on his face.

“You give me too much credit, Allura,” Lotor said. “If I wasn’t able to help I would’ve worried that the computer science classes I’d taken were quite a waste.” Allura laughed, lifting the mug to her lips and taking a sip. Keith watched her carefully, and when she set it down, still smiling, he furrowed his brow. “Actually, now that I think about it,” Lotor said. “I made my tea a little too strong. It might not be a good idea for Keith to have it so late -” Keith made eye contact with Lotor and lifted the mug to his lips, taking a long sip before setting it down. Lotor raised his brow, and then nodded his head, a small smile on his lips. Keith seemed to realized that Lotor had won, and he crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair and taking another sip of tea. 

“So Shiro,” Lotor began, clasping his hands on the table. “How do you know Allura?” Shiro wrapped his fingers around his mug, reveling in its warmth.

“We go way back,” Shiro explained. He remembered the first time he’d met Allura. It was his senior year of high school. He’d become the new champion, Zarkon was in prison, and he’d come to _Alfor’s_ to find some good upgrades for his car. He was looking at the different kinds of headlights when a girl appeared next to him.

“I’ve always been fond of the blue ones,” she commented, and Shiro reeled back, surprised. She hid a laugh behind her hand, a flash of mischief in her eyes. She had to be around 14. Her long braid swayed behind her as she turned to face the display of headlights once more. “What kind of car do you have?” Shiro rubbed the back of his neck.

“Uh, a Mustang?” Shiro offered, and Allura looked at him with interest. 

“What model?”

“Shelby?” Her eyes widened slightly, and then a small smile graced her lips.

“So the champion finally shows up here,” Allura said. “I’ll have to tell my father. He’ll be flattered.” Shiro looked at her in surprise, opening and closing his mouth.

“I’m not the - I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Shiro said, crossing his arms and facing the headlights display. Allura let out a scoff, giving him an unimpressed glance.

“Not many people own a Shelby Mustang, and I knew the champion was young.” Allura paused. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell anyone.” Shiro looked at her, unconvinced.

“You won’t?” 

“I’ll take it to my grave,” she said seriously. Shiro’s eyes widened. Then they looked at each other and laughed. 

“So you think I should get the blue headlights?” Shiro asked, putting his hands on his hips. Allura nodded her head.

“But not yet. There are other improvements you could be making.” Shiro looked at her in interest.

“Oh? Tell me more.”

“Yeah,” Shiro said, leaning forward in his seat and looking at Lotor. “I’ve been coming to her for advice for years. I think I’d be pretty lost without her.” Shiro could feel Allura’s soft gaze on him, and Lotor smiled into his mug, taking a sip of tea. 

“That isn’t hard to believe. Allura seems to be a natural born leader. Someone wise beyond her years.”

“You all flatter me too much,” Allura said, shifting in her chair. Then she looked at the clock on the wall. “Oh shoot, I need to head out.” She looked at Shiro, and Shiro immediately understood. The races were starting soon. Lotor got up from his chair.

“I need to leave as well,” he confessed. “I can’t slack off on my studies so close to the end of the semester.” He brought his mug to the sink and rinsed it out. Then he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “I hope we meet again soon,” Lotor said, looking at Shiro and Keith. Keith didn’t look very enthusiastic but Shiro nodded his head politely.

“Same here.” 

“Get home safe, Lotor,” Allura said. “Thank you for your help today.”

“Of course. Goodnight, Allura.” With that he left the room.

“I suppose I should head out as well,” Allura began, moving to get up from her seat.

“Wait,” Keith said, and Allura stopped, looking at him in surprise. She slowly moved to sit back down.

“We found something at Galra U,” Shiro explained, and the surprised look didn’t leave Allura’s face. 

“My mom didn’t die in that accident,” Keith said. “I found a file on her, and there were updates about her that were recent. They were hard to understand, but -” Keith paused, clenching his jaw. “I think they have her.” Allura lifted a hand to her mouth.

“But that’s -” Alura shook her head. “That doesn’t make  _ sense _ .” She looked at Shiro. “Do you think this is connected to the other car crashes?” Shiro furrowed his brow.

“Pilot told me something too, about his brother dying in a car accident when he was in the middle of an important case.” Shiro paused, meeting Allura’s gaze. “It’s all too much of a coincidence, don’t you think?” Allura’s expression turned grim.

“To think that even after Zarkon was brought to justice, so much destruction could still happen, so many lives could be ruined,” Allura shook her head, her palms placed firmly on her thighs as she looked down at the table. Shiro put a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled up at him. Shiro knew that she didn’t like to talk about her father’s death. Shiro and his father had had time, time to talk about his father’s illness, time for Shiro to learn to accept the idea, to say goodbye. Allura didn’t get any of that. The same year Shiro’s father died, Allura’s father had died. Shiro got to hold his father’s hand while he passed away in his hospital bed. Allura had the police knocking on her door. Her father had been mugged in an alley by people who were on Zarkon’s street racing team before he was sent to prison. All because it was Alfor who identified Zarkon as the Emperor, and tarnished their name. It was all unfair, but Allura summoned her strength to rise above it. And yet she never let it go. 

“Hey, we’ll get to the bottom of this,” Shiro said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. She clenched her fist, and nodded her head once.

“You’re right. We will.” She took a deep breath, and then smiled. “For now how about we go to Altea Drive? It’s too late to come up with a proper game plan, and it might be a good idea to talk more with Pilot about this, to see what else he can tell us.”

“Good idea,” Keith said, getting up from his chair. Shiro looked up at him.

“We’re going to do this on a case-by-case basis, okay? If you do something too reckless again -”

“I know, Shiro. I’ll be careful,” Keith assured him, and Shiro nodded his head, moving to stand as well. 

“Let’s go, then.”

 

 

By time the three of them showed up - Allura in her Koenigsegg while Keith drove him and Shiro in the Nissan - a race was already in progress. They got out of their cars and made their way to the front of the crowd. Keith tugged his hood farther over his hair and Shiro and Allura adjusted their helmets. 

“Looks like Pilot is racing a newcomer,” Allura observed. Shiro could make out the El Camino speeding down the paved road, a dark gray Tesla with purple rims and purple headlights hot on her heels. 

“The Tesla doesn’t stand a chance,” a voice said, and Shiro felt an elbow on his shoulder. He looked down to see Blue watching the race, his eyes trained on the cars. “It’s nice to see you, Princess,” Blue added. Then he spared a glance at Keith. “Blade.” Keith rolled his eyes, pushing forward to get a better view. “I don’t get you. Why do you always act like you’re so much better than everyone else?” Blue asked, looking at Keith’s back. Keith ignored him and Blue made a frustrated noise, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Hey man -”

“Why do you even care?” Keith asked, turning on him. Blue’s eyes widened, and then they narrowed. 

“Because this is  _ my _ turf. I worked hard to be here. And then you strut in like you own the place.” Keith let out a harsh laugh.

“Let’s say I’m a legacy.” Blue looked at him in confusion, shaking his head slightly. Shiro saw the way Keith’s eyes burned. He was agitated tonight, and Blue was only making things worse. 

“If you think you’re going to be the next champion - don’t. That title is going to belong to  _ me _ ,” Blue declared. Keith stepped forward, getting in Blue’s face.

“You’re only the mechanic. I bet I can race circles around you.” Blue’s eyes narrowed and he took a step forward.

“Don’t pretend to know me.”

“Then stop acting like you know  _ me _ ,” Keith shot back, and there was just enough hurt in his tone, just enough meaning, that Blue took a step back, eyes wide once more. Shiro saw the pain in Keith’s eyes, the frustration. He took a step forward, about to break it up, but then the crowd all let out various gasps and sounds of alarm. 

“Oh my god,” Allura breathed, looking at the road. Shiro turned and saw the two cars racing towards the finish line. 

The Tesla was pulling ahead.

“No  _ way _ ,” Blue said, his hand on top of his head, fingers in his hair. A moment later he left them, moving to join Yellow and Green who were also watching the race in disbelief. 

“Come on, Pilot!” Green yelled. Yellow was nervously twisting the bottom of his shirt with his hands. 

“Come on!” Blue echoed, holding on to Yellow for support. The El Camino began to pick up speed, closing the gap. It was going to be close.

“Come on,” Allura breathed, moving to hold Shiro’s hand. Shiro let her, his eyes glued to the road. Keith was leaned against the barrier, gripping it tightly. The two cars were neck-and-neck, and the finish line was approaching fast. Shiro never thought about the possibility of Pilot  _ losing _ any time soon. He was just too good. Pilot’s car managed to get the lead, putting some distance between him and the Tesla, and Shiro could hear Blue cheer. He was so close. He could make it. 

Then Shiro’s eyes widened as he watched the Tesla find a sudden burst of speed, flying down the road and picking up dust in its wake. It overcame the El Camino, and at the last second it flew through the finish line.

Pilot lost. 

The crowd was silent. And then a moment later it erupted into frenzied cheers.

“A new champion!” someone in the crowd yelled, and a chant began.

“Champ-ion! Champ-ion! Champ-ion!” The car door of the Tesla opened and the cheering grew louder. A tall figure exited the car, standing up straight and waving to the crowd. They were in a flight suit, similar to Allura’s but with darker tones - grays, purples, and some orange. A helmet masked their face. 

“I’ve never seen them before,” Allura observed, shaking her head slightly in disbelief. Pilot got out of his car a moment later, a grim expression on his face. He adjusted his flight goggles, wiping the sweat from his brow. Soon after his crew hurried to join him. He shook his head, brow furrowed. Shiro thought that he could make out the words, ‘I’m sorry.’

“Hello Altea Drive!” the mysterious newcomer called out, and the crowd erupted into cheers. The figure waited for everyone to quiet. “Not only am I your new champion! I am your new Emperor!” Allura and Shiro turned to looked at each other in surprise.

“New Emperor?” Allura asked. “This must just be for theatrics -”

“This can’t be a coincidence,” Keith interrupted, moving away from the barrier to join them. 

“Emperor! Emperor! Emperor!” The crowd cheered. Shiro could see Allura’s frown through her visor. Pilot walked up to the new racer - to the Emperor - and held out his hand.

“That was a good race,” Pilot said, managing a smile. “You really got me.” The Emperor took Pilot’s hand and shook it.

“I believe there’s a payment in order, correct?” the Emperor asked, and Pilot grimaced. He looked back at his crew, who were watching from their car, and then looked back at the Emperor.

“These kids - they really need this money -” The Emperor lifted a brow.

“And you assume that I do not?” Pilot let go of the Emperor’s hand, obviously surprised, and clenched his jaw. He began to reach into his pocket, pulling out a wad of cash. The Emperor held out his hand, ready to take it, and Pilot hesitated. Something clenched painfully in Shiro’s chest. He felt like he needed to do something, but what? He had no power here, not anymore. He was just a spectator, and the Emperor won fair and square. He watched as Pilot began to hand over the money, almost like the world was in slow motion.

“Wait!” a voice called, and Shiro watched as Keith vaulted over the barrier, running up to stand in between the Emperor and Pilot. 

“Ke -!” Shiro began, then quickly stopped himself. Allura shot Shiro a worried glance and they both looked on. The Emperor tilted his helmet down towards Keith.

“I challenge you,” Keith said, eyes narrowed, and the people began to whisper excitedly in the crowd. “If you can beat me, you can take the money -  _ and _ the Black Lion!” The crowd got louder now. 

“That kid has the Black Lion?”

“I thought it went missing?”

“He’s got to be bluffing.”

“But what if he’s not?”

“Blade!” Shiro called out, but Keith ignored him. 

“Shiro,” Allura said quietly, looking as surprised as he was. 

“ _ You _ have the Black Lion?” The Emperor asked, sounding interested. Shiro noticed Pilot’s crew watching Keith with wide eyes. Keith lifted up his chin.

“I know where it is. It’s yours if you beat me.” Keith paused. “But I don’t think you will.” The Emperor laughed, throwing his head back.

“Okay, then. It’s a deal. But you haven’t told me what you get if you win.”

“You tell me everything you know about the Emperor. The  _ real _ Emperor,” Keith said, and the crowd’s whispers got louder again. The figure was silent for a moment. Then he held out his hand.

“Let’s race, then,” the Emperor said, and if Shiro’s could see his face he imagined he would’ve seen his eyes flash in that moment. Keith’s eyes simmered, close to burning. He took his hand.

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”


	8. Lap Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hesitant to post this chapter at first because I wasn't sure if I loved it, but I feel better about it now and I hope that you guys enjoy it!! There's probably like two more chapters left! Maybe even one long one!
> 
> Thank you all for the lovely comments they make me so happy.

Keith let go of the new Emperor’s hand, taking a step back.

“I’m going to get my car,” he said, and the Emperor nodded his head.

“I hope this isn’t your way of running out on our deal,” he commented, a teasing edge in his voice. Keith clenched his fists. 

“Not a chance.” With that he moved towards the crowd, but Blue was standing in his path.

“Who do you think you are? Are you trying to get yourself _killed_?” Blue asked, crossing his arms. Keith tried to move past him, but Blue stood in his way once more. “This isn’t your fight. The Black Lion isn’t your car. What makes you think that you can just come here and -”

“My parents were Marmora and Firefighter,” Keith interrupted, fire in his words. The crowd grew quiet, and Blue’s eyes widened. “And I’m going to carry on their legacy, _and_ the legacy of the Paladin. I’m _going_ to be the next champion, and you’re not going to stand in my way.” Keith walked past Blue, hitting his shoulder. Then he stopped, his back to him. “ _That’s_ who I am.” With that he went into the crowd, pushing past people as they watched him in awe.

“You’re crazy!” Blue called after him, taking a step forward before stopping in the road. Keith pulled his hood farther over his eyes and ignored him, quickly disappearing into the mass of bodies. Blue watched him go in disbelief. Then Shiro noticed Pilot standing in the road too, the cash still in his hands. He hadn’t moved since Keith stood in between him and the Emperor. He seemed to have a look of disbelief on his face as well. Then he frowned and looked at the ground, putting the cash in the pocket of his flight jacket. Shiro wanted to go to him, to see if he was okay, but there was something that he needed to do first.

“I’m going after Keith,” Shiro told Allura. His gaze lingered on Pilot - noticing the way the moonlight seemed to glow around his sillohouette, how his back looked bowed and defeated. He clenched his fists and tore his eyes away, meeting Allura’s almost prismatic eyes through her visor. “He’s never even raced before. He just got his license six _months_ ago -” Allura gave him a small smile.

“I understand.” She paused, frowning slightly as she looked over Shiro’s shoulder. Shiro turned to see her looking over at the new Emperor, who was now by his car, talking to a woman who seemed to be a member of his crew. She had short purple hair and a black scarf covering the bottom half of her face. She was nodding at whatever the Emperor was saying. There were two other women checking on the car, one tall with broad shoulders and the other slight and nimble-looking. “I do not like this. Something feels off.” She paused again. “You go find Blade. I need to make a call.” Allura pulled out her phone and made her way through the crowd. Shiro pushed through the crowd as well, heading for where Keith’s car was parked a little farther down the road. He spotted Keith opening the car door. 

“Wait!” Shiro called, and Keith stopped, turning to look at Shiro. He crossed his arms. 

“You can’t talk me out of this -”

“I’m not going to,” Shiro said, stopping to stand in front of him. Keith looked at him skeptically. Shiro sighed and put his hands on his hips. “I just want to give you some advice. I used to be pretty good at this, you know.” He saw Keith’s eyes widen slightly in surprise. Then Keith uncrossed his arms, leaning against the car and waiting for Shiro to continue. Shiro gave him a smile and moved to join him, leaning against the car as well. “Take a deep breath before you start, right when the flag is raised in the air,” he began. Keith looked ahead, a thoughtful furrow to his brow. “You need to be smooth in your movements. Make sure you’re not jerky with the wheel.” Shiro paused. “You should also drive about two car lengths ahead of where you are - focus on where you _want_ to go, and your instincts will do the work. And I know that your driving instructor told you to put your hands at 10 and 2, but they should really be at 9 and 3 for street racing. You’ll have better control and it’ll be easier to turn when you pick up speed. And wait as long as you can to brake at the finish line. Not at the last second, but when you think you should brake, you should give it two more seconds.” Shiro stopped again, taking a breath. It had taken him so long to learn all of this for himself, and he did it all on his own. It was weird that after all this time, he still remembered every detail. Keith was still looking ahead, looking like he was committing all of Shiro’s advice to memory. “And one last thing,” Shiro said. He waited for Keith to meet his gaze. Then Shiro smiled. “If you lose the Black Lion I’m eating Mrs. Han’s cooking all by myself. No more dough sticks for you.” Keith cracked a smile, rolling his eyes. 

“Don’t worry. I don’t plan on losing.” Then he frowned, looking away again as he seemed to think something over. “Thank you for letting me do this, Shiro. I know I’m being reckless, but -” Shiro held up a hand to stop him.

“I knew a kid once,” Shiro began after a pause, his voice quieter than before. “He was your age, and he was angry - at the world, at his parents, at how unfair life was - and he decided to challenge the Emperor one night, because he needed to fight _something_ , he needed a _win_. And somehow, he did end up winning.” Shiro put a hand on Keith’s shoulder, smiling at the skyline ahead, the stars blinking down at them. “You remind me of him.” He felt Keith’s gaze, and he turned to look at him. His violet eyes were wide. Then Keith nodded his head once, his expression more determined. He opened his car door and reached in to pull out a red helmet. He looked over at the crowd in the distance, and then he took off his hood, putting the helmet over his eyes and pulling down the visor. He took off his badana next, handing it over to Shiro.

“Thanks,” Keith paused, seeming to think something over. “I named her, you know.” He looked at his car, the red paint shining in the moonlight, and Shiro raised a brow.

“Oh yeah? I hope it’s as cool as Blade.” Keith rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips. Then he crossed his arms, looking uncomfortable.

“The Red Lion,” Keith said, and Shiro’s lips parted in surprise. 

“Oh,” Shiro said dumbly. Then Keith slipped into the driver’s seat, putting his hands on the steering wheel. He looked up at Shiro. 

“9 and 3?” Shiro looked down at him for a moment, and then he nodded his head.

“You got it,” Shiro said with a smile, his hand on the car door. “See you at the finish line.” Keith nodded his head, and then Shiro closed the car door for him. He watched as Keith drove down the road and towards the crowd, the crowd parting. Shiro stood there for a moment, and then he hurried back towards the crowd, trying to get a view of the road. He found a spot by the barrier, near where Blue, Yellow, and Green were standing. 

“I can’t believe he’s really doing this,” he heard Yellow say.

“There’s no chance he can win,” Green said. “It’s statistically impossible.”

“Blade doesn’t care about statistics. He just does whatever he wants,” Blue grumbled, but there was a note of admiration in his tone. Then Shiro watched as the Emperor got into his own car, driving up to meet the Red Lion at the starting line. Pilot came out of the crowd to stand in front of the two cars, a red flag in his hands. He watched the crowd, finding Shiro’s eyes. He took a breath, giving him a small, uncertain smile. Then he looked back at the cars.

“This is a race to determine the new champion,” Pilot announced. “If the Emperor wins, he gets the Black Lion. If Blade wins, he gets information. Are both racers ready?” The car engines roared to life, and Pilot nodded his head once. He lifted the red flag in his hands.

“Breathe,” Shiro urged, eyes glued to the Red Lion. Then Pilot threw the flag down and the cars sped off, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. Shiro found himself gripping onto the barrier, watching the cars getting smaller in the distance. It was hard to tell who was pulling ahead. The stars burned but the road was dark, the houses empty and desolate. It was too quiet, and at the same time too loud as the crowd began to cheer. 

He trusted Keith, but there were so many unknowns. So many things out of Shiro’s control. For starters they had no idea who they were dealing with. Why did this stranger call himself the Emperor? What was his goal in all this? And what if Keith _did_ lose? What if Keith got _hurt_? 

Worst of all, what if Keith became just like Shiro is now? Broken. Dull. A shade of what he once was. All because Shiro let him do this. 

Shiro thought that he could do this, he really did. But these worries were bubbling up inside of him, threatening to overflow. Choking him.

He couldn’t breathe.

He put his hands on his helmet, trying to steady his breathing, trying to remember what Dr. Han would tell him when he would get like this. It had crept up on him this time. He closed his eyes and bent forward. What was it that Dr. Han told him to do? Why couldn’t he remember what to do? Why couldn’t he do even _this_ right -? 

“Hey,” a soft voice said, and Shiro opened his eyes to see pilot goggles staring back. Shiro watched as Pilot took both of his gloved hands from where he was standing on the other side of the barrier. “Look at me, okay? Focus on my voice.” Shiro look at him with wide, confused eyes, and then he nodded his head slightly and Pilot smiled. “You need a focus object,” Pilot began. Then he paused, furrowing his brow slightly. “I’m not sure how I feel about referring to myself as an _object_ , but focus on me, okay? Tell me what you see.” Shiro took uneven breaths as he continued to stare at Pilot, bewildered and overwhelmed. What about the race? What about Keith? The cars were still driving away. They hadn’t reached the half-way point yet. Then Pilot squeezed his hands, and Shiro’s gaze shifted back towards him. He tried to find something to say.

“Your aviator hat,” Shiro blurted out, and Pilot’s lips quirked up in a small smile. “It’s dark brown, and - and leather.”

“That it is,” Pilot said with a slight nod. “What else?” The cars were half-way through now. It looked like Keith was pulling ahead, his car like a red star, but the Tesla wasn’t far behind. He could hear the roar of the engines growing louder. Then he forced himself to look back at Pilot.

“Your goggles look old, worn,” Shiro commented, seeing how parts of it were beginning to peel and the leather strap was cracked.

“It was my grandfather’s. Keep going,” Pilot said, still holding on to Shiro’s hands. Shiro felt like he was running out of things to look at. Panic was clawing its way back up his throat, threatening to close into a fist. Then his eyes fell on Pilot’s features. Shiro noticed the curve of Pilot’s nose, the short locks of brown hair that poked out of his hat, his tan skin and his -

“You have freckles,” Shiro said. “On your nose. I didn’t notice them at first, they’re, uh -”

“They’re what?” Pilot asked, pressing him. Shiro’s cheeks heated up.

“They’re - they’re cute,” Shiro admitted, and Pilot moved back slightly. He let go of Shiro’s hands and rubbed the back of his neck, looking away.

“Oh,” Pilot said, looking flustered. Then he dropped his arm and looked back at Shiro. “Do you feel better?” Shiro realized that his breathing was steadier, and he felt a little more in control. He nodded his head.

“Yeah, thanks. I’m sorry -” Pilot shook his head.

“You have nothing to apologize for.” Pilot paused. He took a step forward, leaning into Shiro once more. “Blade is really brave,” he said quietly, “sticking up to this new guy like that. He kind of reminds me of someone else I saw race.” He looked away from Shiro, a bashful expression on his face. Shiro felt his cheeks heat up once more. Then Pilot met his gaze again. “But if he loses the Black Lion I’m going to riot. I haven’t even gotten to meet her yet.” Shiro let out a surprised laugh.

“I’ll have to make sure to introduce you,” Shiro said, and Pilot smiled. The smile was warm, soft. It made Shiro’s heart skip a beat. Freckles. Pilot had freckles. Only a few - like a constellation on the bridge of his nose. 

“Remind me to thank Blade,” Pilot said. “He really helped me out by stepping in.” He looked over at Blue, Green, and Yellow, who were laser-focused on the race. “He helped all of us.” Shiro nodded his head, turning to look at the road. 

“It might not seem like it, but he does really care about people,” Shiro said, the corner of his mouth tugging up in a smile. He felt Pilot’s eyes lingering on him and he met his gaze. “What?” Pilot’s lips parted in surprise, like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t be, and he turned away, his face redder than it was before as he rubbed the back of his neck again. Then he dropped his arm and turned back towards Shiro, clenching his fists in determination. Shiro’s eyes widened slightly. “What are you -?” Pilot put a gentle hand on Shiro’s cheek, his fingers calloused and warm, and then he leaned forward, pressing a kiss on Shiro’s other cheek, right below his visor. His lips were soft and the kiss was light, and yet it sent a shock through Shiro’s system. Pilot lingered there for a moment, Shiro feeling Pilot’s breath on his cheek, and then he pulled away, dropping his hand. He looked at Pilot, still bewildered. He could feel the place where Pilot’s lips had met his skin. His face heated up.

“You really care about people too, Paladin,” Pilot said, looking at the ground. Then he looked back up at Shiro, a grin on his face. “Not many people get a kiss from the champion, so you should consider yourself lucky.” Then Pilot paused. “Well, I guess I’m the _former_ champion now but you should still like, I don’t know, feel pretty good about yourself.” Pilot let out an uncomfortable cough, shifting his stance. “But don’t like, steal my DNA and sell it on the science black market or something. I don’t want to meet a clone of myself ten years later that’s been tasked to kill me or whatever -” Pilot trailed off, becoming more and more flustered as Shiro continued to watch him in disbelief. Then Shiro began to laugh, resting his elbows on the barrier and leaning forward. 

“You must be such a dork in real life. I wonder how the people around you handle it.” Pilot grinned, adjusting his goggles. 

“Thankfully I spend most of my day with high schoolers, and they seem entertained by it -” Shiro’s smile dropped, looking at Pilot in surprise.

“High schoolers?” Shiro asked, but before Pilot could elaborate the crowd grew louder.

“They’re coming!” someone yelled, and Shiro looked over to see the two cars racing towards the finish line, both going impossibly fast. Keith was maneuvering well, taking the curve in the road at a smooth pace, just like Shiro told him. But the Emperor was just as good.

“Come on, Blade!” Blue cheered, and Shiro noticed Green shoot Blue a look. “What? I don’t want the guy who beat us to win!” Keith started to pull ahead, and Shiro wondered how he learned to drive like that. Had he been practicing? Or was racing just an inevitability, given who his parents were? There was one final curve in the road, and Keith was approaching it fast.

Shiro could tell that he was giving it his all. He made the turn, his movements a little jerkier than before, but was able to clear it. He’d put some distance between him and the Emperor. There was a chance he could win this. 

Then Shiro remembered what happened in the race right before this one. 

The Tesla somehow found a new burst of speed and was able to overtake the Red Lion. the Emperor flew by, gaining the lead. 

“Come on,” Shiro said, willing the Red Lion to go faster. That panic from before was beginning to resurface, but in the same moment he felt a hand take his own. He looked down and saw Pilot’s hand, their fingers threading together. Then he looked up and saw Pilot’s eyes glued on the race, watching at the Red Lion. Shiro’s lips quirked up in a smile and he looked back at the road. The Tesla was closing in on the finish line. It was almost over.  

“Go faster!” Blue practically screeched, holding on to Yellow’s arm. But the Tesla was too far ahead. 

Shiro was going to lose the Black Lion.

Then the Red Lion roared, picking up speed like she was driving on glass. Keith was swerving a little, but he was closing the distance, and with one final burst of speed, he blew past the Tesla at the last second, crossing the finish line. Shiro’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“He did it,” Shiro breathed. He looked over at Pilot, who was watching the road with a dumbfounded expression.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Pilot said. He turned towards Shiro, still looking surprised, and then he began to laugh. Shiro laughed as well and Pilot pulled him into a hug. The barrier in between them made it a little uncomfortable, but Shiro didn’t care. 

“Holy shit!” Blue said, his blue eyes wide. He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head slightly. “He’s - he’s - he’s _amazing_.” Green scoffed, giving him a pat on the back.

“At least you finally admit it.” Shiro looked over to see the door to the Red Lion open, the crowd going wild.

“ _Blade! Blade! Blade! Blade!_ ” people chanted in a frenzy. Shiro watched as Keith moved to get out of the car, but he could immediately tell that something was wrong. Keith managed to stand, but he was unsteady on his feet. He kept turning around, like he was looking for something. His hands were shaking. He finally met Shiro’s gaze from 100 feet away, and Shiro watched him mouth one word before going down.

‘Help.’

Shiro pushed through the crowd, moving to get to him. Keith was on the pavement, his hands still shaking as he was on his hands and knees, looking panicked. 

“What’s wrong?” Shiro asked, kneeling down next to him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Pilot working to move the crowd back, giving them some space and giving Keith concerned looks every other moment. Yellow and Green went to help him. “ _Keith_ ,” Shiro said firmly, trying to get an answer out of him, trying to understand what he could do to help. 

“Shiro,” Keith said back. “I can’t - I don’t -” He put his hands on his helmet, shaking his head. “ _What’s happening to me?_ ” Shiro looked at him, his eyes wide in shock. Why did this feel familiar? He needed to get Keith out of here.

“ _What did you do to him?_ ” a voice yelled, and Shiro picked up his head to see Blue rushing up to the Emperor, who’d just gotten out of his car. Blue’s eyes were burning in anger as he stopped to stand in front of him. “ _What did you do?_ ” The Emperor laughed.

“I do not know what you mean -” Blue grabbed the front of his flight suit. 

“I’m not stupid. You must’ve done something -” The larger woman in the Emperor’s crew began to try and pull Blue off of the Emperor, but Blue refused to let go. 

“You should be grateful that your team gets to keep your money. Stay in the background where you belong,” the Emperor said cooly, and Blue’s eyes widened. Then they narrowed. He managed to break free of the woman’s grip, and moved to land a punch on the Emperor. The Emperor caught his wrist mid-swing, looking down at him. “How dare you try to touch me,” the Emperor snarled, tightening his grip on Blue’s wrist. Blue let out a wince of pain and the Emperor threw him to the ground, hard. A moment later police sirens could be heard in the distance. The crowd began to panic, pushing past each other as they began to scatter. The Emperor watched the scene. “Let’s go. I’d say that I should stay here and hold up my end of the deal -” the Emperor paused, looking at Keith from where he was standing. “But it looks like he’s rather incapacitated.” With that he and his crew got into the Tesla and drove off. 

“Blue!” Green yelled, moving to kneel beside him. Blue moved to sit up, holding his wrist gingerly in his hand as he gritted his teeth in pain. 

“I can’t  - I -” Keith said, and Shiro looked back down at him, watching as Keith’s knees began to buckle as his whole body shook. Shiro quickly hooked his arm under Keith’s legs and under his back, lifting him in the air as he moved to stand. He looked over at the Red Lion and saw that Pilot was already holding the back car door open for him, gesturing him over. Shiro hurried over to the car, placing Keith gingerly in the backseat. 

“I need to get him to the hospital,” Shiro said, and Pilot nodded his head. 

“Let me drive you -”

“No, you need to take them home,” Shiro said, gesturing to where Yellow and Green were crowded around Blue, worried looks on their faces. 

“But -”

“It’s okay. I can handle this,” Shiro said. Pilot looked at him for a long moment, but then he nodded his head. 

“Okay. But we need to talk about everything that happened -” 

“I know. I’ll tell Allura where you can find me,” Shiro promised. Pilot nodded his head again. 

“Come on guys, I can’t let you get arrested tonight!” Pilot said, running over to his crew and helping them to their feet. Then he noticed Blue holding his wrist. “Let me see that.” He took Blue’s wrist in his hand, and Blue let out a cry of pain. Pilot frowned, and then looked back at Shiro. Shiro already knew what he was going to ask.

“I can take him,” Shiro said. Pilot gave him a grateful look. 

“They’re going to the hospital,” Pilot explained to Blue.

“I’m fine,” Blue protested, pulling his wrist away, but it was obvious that he was holding back tears. 

“Then help take care of Blade, at least,” Pilot reasoned, knowing exactly what to say to get Blue in that car. Blue looked over at the Red Lion, and then he nodded his head, moving to stand. He met Shiro’s gaze as he hurried over to him.

“I’ll go in the back,” he offered, opening the car door with his good hand and moving to sit next to Keith. Keith didn’t notice. He was still shaking. His darkened visor hid his eyes, but Shiro had a feeling that they were closed. His mouth was twisted into a grimace. Blue moved to buckle him in. Pilot opened the driver’s side door of the El Camino, Yellow and Green piling into the back. Pilot locked eyes with Shiro one last time, giving him a nod, and then he climbed into the car, turning on the engine and pulling out of the road. Soon he was speeding off in the opposite direction of the sirens. 

“Paladin!” a voice called, and Shiro turned to see Allura pushing past people. She made it to Shiro, a little breathless. “I’m sorry. I’m the one who called the police. I knew something wasn’t right and I didn’t want anyone to get _hurt_ -” she stopped, looking at the Red Lion. “But I’m afraid they didn’t come in time.”

“It’s okay, Allura, but we really need to go.” She nodded her head.

“I had told Coran to come, and he is driving the Koenigsegg back as we speak. I’m driving you to the hospital.”

“Allura -”

“This is no time to argue, Shiro,” she said, not backing down. Then she took a breath. “We need to get there fast.” Shiro tried not to wince, understanding her meaning. Shiro was a liability in this situation. If he drove too fast he could trigger another panic attack, and they couldn’t afford any more delays.

“Then let’s go.” The two of them hurried to the car, Allura taking the driver’s seat and Shiro taking the passenger’s seat. She turned on the engine and sped out of Altea Drive, driving in the direction of the hospital. She looked in the rearview mirror and her eyes widened slightly. 

“Hello, Blue. What happened to you?” 

“My wrist,” Blue said, frustration simmering in his tone. “I can’t believe that slimy coward -” Keith’s shaking became more violent and he hit his head against the window. Blue quickly moved to grab him. Thankfully he was wearing his helmet. Blue moved to hold Keith’s shoulders as he continued to shake, looking at him in worry. He glanced over at Shiro. “What happened to him?” Shiro frowned. Seeing Keith like this - it was like a knife was cutting through his insides. But he needed to stay strong for him.

“I’m not sure. I - he just lost control -”

“Do you think this is connected?” Allura asked, and Shiro immediately knew what she meant.

“Connected to what?” Blue asked, meeting Allura’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

“It’s nothing,” Allura said.

“ _Nothing?_ ” Blue said, taking his hands off of Keith’s shoulders and leaning forward in his seat. He frowned, looking thoughtful and frustrated at the same time. “You know, Pilot’s been acting weirdly, too, ever since _you_ went to talk to him,” Blue said, looking at Shiro. “It’s like he’s been keeping something from us, and he _never_ keeps things from us.” Blue let out an exasperated noise. “We even know the people he’s interested in!” he said, throwing his hands in the air. Allura glanced at Shiro and then looked back at the road. “I think I have a right to know exactly what’s happening at Altea Drive -” Then Keith began to tremble more violently again, shaking his head back and forth.

“Shiro,” he called out, his tone bordering on delirious, and Shiro’s eyes widened. “Shiro I -” 

“What - what did he just say?” Blue asked, eyes widening as well. Keith shook more, throwing his head around. Blue scrambled to stop him, but then his helmet flew off, falling to the ground. His black hair was messy and wild around him. His face was flushed as he looked around in confusion, not seeming to know where he was. 

Shiro cursed under his breath. This wasn’t good.

“No,” Blue breathed, frozen in place as he looked at Keith. He shook his head slowly. “No. No no no _no_. This isn’t - oh my god,” Blue put his hands over his mouth. Shiro took his helmet off, putting it on the floor in front of him and turning to look at Blue.

“Hey, it’s okay, don’t freak out,” Shiro said, and Blue’s eyes widened even more when he saw Shiro’s face. It was almost like there was recognition in Blue’s eyes, which didn’t make sense, unless -

Blue looked back at Keith, putting his hands on Keith’s cheeks as his expression became even more worried than it was before. Shiro could’ve sworn that he saw the beginnings of tears in Blue’s eyes. 

“Is he going to be okay?” Blue asked. “ _Shiro_ , is Keith going to be okay?” Shiro’s eyes widened. He looked over at Allura, but she was focused on the road, her eyes tightened in sympathy. Shiro looked back at Blue. 

“How do you know who we are?” Shiro asked. Blue was still looking at Keith, rubbing his thumb against Keith’s cheek as Keith continued to shake and mumble things under his breath. Blue hastily pulled down his blue bandana, and Shiro’s eyes widened further in recognition.

“ _Lance?_ ” 

“We’re almost at the hospital,” Allura said, driving as fast as she dared as they flew down the highway. “What’s the plan, Shiro?” Shiro couldn’t tear his eyes away from Lance. 

“Keith,” Lance said quietly. “What did they do to you?” 

“Lance?” Keith asked, pinching his brows together and reaching out for him. Shiro saw how his hands shook. Lance took them both.

“It’s okay. I’m here, man.” Lance looked over at Shiro, who was still turned in his seat to watch the two of them in disbelief. “What’s the plan, Shiro?” Lance echoed. Shiro hesitated a moment, running a hand through his hair. He had so many questions, but he had to set them aside for now. Keith was the priority. He took a deep breath, thinking over what to do next.

 

 

Shiro shifted in his seat, hard plastic digging into his back. Hospital waiting rooms weren’t exactly comfortable, but Shiro guessed that they didn’t really have to be. He clasped his hands together, his gloves already off and stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. 

“Here,” a voice said, and Shiro looked up to see Allura standing over him, a small smile on her lips as she handed him a cup. “I got some coffee from the cafeteria - I thought we both needed some.”

“Thanks, Allura,” Shiro said, giving her a tired smile as he took the cup. He could feel the warmth spreading across his fingertips. Allura moved to sit next to him, and they both sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the whirring of the medical machines down the hall, and the quiet voices of the doctors and nurses. It was late. The hospital wasn’t busy tonight. 

“So you went for the allergic reaction story, huh?” Allura asked, taking a sip from her coffee. Shiro scoffed.

“I’m not sure if they bought it, but it was better than the truth.” Allura nodded her head in agreement.

“I just don’t get it,” Allura began, lowering her coffee to rest it on her lap. Shiro took a sip from his own. “Why would he suddenly have that kind of, I don’t know, reaction? He wasn’t behaving weirdly before, was he? Do you think him confronting the Emperor was the beginning of it? Was his behavior altered?” Shiro scoffed again.

“No, I’m pretty sure that was just Keith being Keith.” He furrowed his brow. “Allura, the way he looked - the shaking, the confusion - was that how - when you found me -?”

“Yes,” Allura said quietly, looking down at her cup. “You were the same way.” Shiro picked up his head to look at her. 

“And that can’t be a coincidence,” Shiro continued. Allura shook her head.

“I don’t think it is.” Her brows pinched together. “I just don’t know what’s _causing_ it.” Shiro could hear the frustration in her voice. He put a gentle hand on her knee.

“Hey, we’ll figure it out. We keep learning more and more. We’ll connect the dots soon.”

“I just hope it’s before anyone else gets hurt,” Allura said, and Shiro furrowed his brow, looking at the linoleum tiles. 

“I won’t let that happen.” Shiro caught the flicker of Allura’s smile.

“You know what ‘paladin’ means, right Shiro?” Shiro rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

“It’s a knight, a person known for their chivalry and heroism,” Shiro said. He let out a tired laugh. “I was a little full of myself back then.” Allura smiled, amusement in her eyes.

“You’ve grown into it beautifully, though,” she said. Shiro shook his head.

“Heroes are the people who rush in to save the day. Who _stop_ the bad things from happening. I’m constantly trying to fix the missteps that I’ve already made. I couldn’t even drive Keith to the hospital. I needed _you_ to do it for me.” Allura sighed.

“You’re impossible, Takashi,” Allura chided, and Shiro looked at her in surprise and saw the amused smile on her lips. “Strength isn’t always measured by how well you save the day by yourself. Sometimes it’s being able to ask for help. Being a hero isn’t about always knowing what to do, it’s the fact that you’re getting up and _doing_ it at all. That you _try_. And you can’t help but try, Shiro. It’s just who you are. It’s one of the best things about you.” Shiro looked at Allura for a moment in surprise, and then he smiled.

“You always know what to say, Allura.” 

“I _am_ a business owner, it’s something you learn from practice,” Allura offered, a teasing glint in her eyes. Then she glanced over at the other end of the hall, at where Lance was sitting by himself, playing with the strap of his wrist brace. “How long does he have to wear that?”

“Two weeks,” Shiro said, remembering what the doctor had told him. Shiro offered to call Lance’s parents, but Lance made him promise not to. He said something about his abuelita having a heart attack if she found out. 

“You should go talk to him,” Allura said. Shiro saw the slight frown on Lance’s lips. The furrow in his brow. The way he kept looking down the hall, in the direction where Keith had been taken on a hospital gurney.

“I know. I just don’t know what to say.”

“You usually do a good job of figuring it out,” Allura reasoned, looking at him expectantly. Shiro sighed, taking a long sip of coffee before setting it down on the table next to them.

“Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need it.” Shiro gave her an unconvinced look and went over to join Lance, claiming the empty seat next to him. Lance continued to play with the strap of his brace, ripping the velcro back and forth. 

“The doctor’s been gone for a while,” Lance finally said. “Didn’t she say she’d be back soon?” Shiro leaned forward in his seat, looking at the empty reception desk on the other side of the waiting room.

“She’ll be back. They’re doing the best they can.”

“And what if it’s not good enough?” Lance said suddenly, letting go of his brace and turning to face Shiro. “What if they can’t help him? What if something goes wrong? What if Keith -?” Lance’s voice broke, and he bit his lip, looking at the ground. He let out a noise of frustration and ran a hand through his hair. “How can he be Blade? How can _you_ be the Paladin? This is so _messed up_ . He shouldn’t have been there. _I_ should’ve -”

“Lance,” Shiro said, and Lance stopped, furrowing his brow as he looked at the floor. There was anger in his eyes, anger and guilt. 

“I thought that Blade was so aggravating, from the moment I met him,” Lance said, and Shiro leaned back in his seat.

“I think that was pretty obvious,” Shiro observed, and Lance gave him a tired smile before leaning back in his chair as well, looking at the fluorescent lights on the ceiling. 

“The first time he came to Altea Drive he acted like he already owned the place, asking to see Pilot’s car even though he was a literal _stranger_ . He pulled a knife on me, one of the members of the _champion’s_ team, demanding that I tell him where you were. He challenged the guy who beat us to a race, even though he’s never even _raced_ on Altea Drive before, and even risked the _Black Lion_ .” Lance scoffed, shaking his head. “It was like he thought he could do anything. Like he was untouchable. And I guess in a way he was.” Lance sighed, still looking at the ceiling, his head resting against the back of his chair as he slumped down in his seat. “I was jealous of his freedom. Of his certainty. _I_ wanted to have that confidence, but it’s so hard when so many things are out of your control -” Lance stopped, and Shiro saw his bottom lip tremble. He threw his arm over his face, covering his eyes. “Blade made me believe that I could be like that, too. I wanted to impress him, and maybe, if he noticed me, then I could do whatever I wanted, just like him. He - he was like this _star_ that I was reaching for, one that was burning, ready to explode and _Keith_ -” Lance choked up, still covering his eyes as he rested his injured wrist across his stomach. “Keith was -” He let out a shaky breath. “He _is_ -” Lance moved his arm away from his face, leaning forward and shaking his head. There was a pained expression on his face. “Why do they have to be the same person? Why did he have to get hurt? How can we just be _sitting_ here -?”

“Because not everything is going to be in our control,” Shiro said quietly, and Lance turned his head to look at him. Shiro let out a sigh. “Lance, Keith has known a lot of loss in his life, and to make up for that he tends to grip things tightly and never let go. That’s what makes him strong, loyal, and yet also stubborn and impulsive.” Shiro paused. “He fights for what he cares about, but things will never fully be in his control, no matter what kind of front he puts up. Because that’s an impossible expectation to put on anyone, including you. People leave, or get hurt, or hurt _you_ , and there are times when it’s not the steps that got you to that point that matter, but the steps _after_ . The person _you_ choose to become.” Shiro furrowed his brow. “By falling we learn to go safely, but I think we also learn that falling isn’t always so bad, and it’s not always our fault.” Shiro looked at his hands, the real one and the prosthetic one. He wondered how much of this advice was for Lance, and how much of it was for himself. He needed to move forward, too. He needed to stop looking back at all of the steps he’d taken so far, and instead look ahead towards the next one, and the one after that. 

And maybe one day, he’d be able to leave the past behind him. Not completely, but enough to begin to grow again. To fall again, and to not be so afraid of it.

“I think I finally get why Adam talks about you so much,” Lance said, the faintest smile on his lips. Shiro felt his cheeks heat up.

“He - uh, he talks about me?” Shiro asked, rubbing the back of his neck. “What does he - um, what exactly does he say -?”

“Takashi Shirogane?” a voice called from the hall, and both Shiro and Lance picked up their heads to see a nurse standing in the hall. Allura closed the magazine she was reading and looked up as well. The nurse gave them all a tired smile. “Keith is stable. He had quite the _allergic reaction_ ,” she continued, saying the words ‘allergic reaction’ like she didn’t quite believe them, but was polite enough not to argue against it. “But he’s going to be okay. He’s resting now, but if you want to see him -” Lance shot up in his seat.

“What room?” Lance asked, a note of desperation in his voice. The nurse’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“I was actually talking to Keith’s guardian. We have a strict ‘only family’ policy -” she trailed off, and Shiro noticed Allura’s eyes tighten in sympathy. She must’ve been given the same talk when Shiro was in the hospital. 

“He _is_ family,” Shiro said, moving to stand and putting a hand on Lance’s shoulder. The nurse sighed.

“I know that this policy can be tricky, and I know that this young man has been waiting a long time, but patients located in the emergency wing of the hospital can only be -”

“Let him go, Kate,” a voice said, and Dr. Han appeared in the hallway, shrugging on his long white coat and fixing his glasses. He looked at Shiro. “I got a call from a colleague that my favorite neighbors were here, and I wanted to check in.” He offered Shiro a smile. “Keith is in good hands, Dr. Holt is one of our best, but I was more concerned about how _you’d_ be holding up. Mrs. Han reminded me of that dishwasher incident earlier today. She also started making meals for you two before I was even out the door.” Shiro gave him a tired smile.

“It’s good to see you, Dr. Han. I love being reminded of the dishwasher.” Dr. Han grinned when he heard the sarcasm in Shiro’s voice.

“I’d love to hear this story,” Allura said, moving to stand. She walked over to Dr. Han, reaching out her hand. “I’m Allura, an old friend of Shiro’s.” There was a twinkle in Dr. Han’s eyes as he accepted her hand, giving her a firm handshake. 

“It’s very nice to meet you -”

“I’m Lance and I don’t want to be rude because my abuelita would kill me if she knew I was interrupting an adult and a _doctor_ but can we _please_ go see Keith now?” Lance asked, looking between Shiro and Dr. Han. Dr. Han hid a smile behind his hand, and then he looked back at the nurse.

“We can bend the rules tonight. I’ll take responsibility for them.” The nurse nodded her head, giving them all a small smile before returning to her duties. Dr. Han turned back to look at all of them. “I’ll show you where his room is. Please be quiet, though. It’s best if he sleeps through the night.” Lance nodded his head, walking over to stand next to Dr. Han.

“I can be quiet,” Lance assured him. Allura scoffed but quickly raised her hands in surrender when Lance shot her a glare. She caught Shiro looking at them and smiled, reaching out her hand.

“Come on, Shiro. Let’s go.” Shiro watched her for a moment, seeing the linoleum tiles that stretched out between them, and took a step forward, and then another, and soon they were walking together, hand in hand as Dr. Han started leading the way.

And the past started falling further behind. Not disappearing from view, because it wasn’t time for that yet, but becoming easier to bear, easier to walk away from. 

Because that was all that Shiro could ask of himself. That’s what being a paladin truly was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if this chapter surprised you! Or if you have any theories! <3


	9. Lap Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that this took longer than usual to post. I've been very busy with exams and if you follow my tumblr you already know that I got some bad news recently. I'm fine there's just someone I really care about who's going through a hard time so it's been hard finding the energy to write.
> 
> But I'm so excited to share this chapter with you and I have the ending all planned out and let me tell you it is a RIDE (car pun intended)
> 
> I hope that you guys like it!

Keith was asleep when they entered the room, moonlight from the window bathing the sterile hospital room in an eerie glow. Shiro frowned, seeing how pale Keith looked in the dim light. There was a IV in his arm, and a machine to his right making quiet, consistent beeping noises. Lance hurried to Keith’s bedside, reaching out his good hand and then pulling back. He looked back at Shiro. Allura put a hand on Shiro’s shoulder and walked past him, moving to stand next to Lance. 

“He’s fine, Takashi,” Dr. Han said, clasping his hands behind his back as he looked up at his neighbor. He wasn’t a very imposing figure, but his smile had enough warmth to make the room feel a little less cold. Shiro relaxed his shoulders, nodding his head slightly. 

“I know. He’s too stubborn not to be.” Dr. Han let out an amused puff of breath. Then his expression became more serious. 

“Takashi,” he said with a sigh. “I know what you and Keith have been getting up to.” Shiro gave Dr. Han a surprised look, and then a guilty one.

“I tried to stop him -” Shiro began, but Dr. Han held up a hand. 

“I didn’t bring it up to judge you, Takashi.” He paused. “Colleen - Dr. Holt - let me look through Keith’s medical records. When he arrived he had dangerously high levels of adrenaline and cortisol. He was experiencing a massive panic attack, and the doctors had to work quickly to prevent him from going into cardiac arrest.” Shiro’s eyes widened and something constricted in his chest. It was guilt, worry, a combination of both. 

“Keith doesn’t get panic attacks,” Shiro finally said, shaking his head. “He’s never shown any symptoms of anxiety -”

“You’re right, which is why I believe that this episode was induced,” Dr. Han said, his tone even. Shiro bit his lip. This didn’t surprise him. If anything it confirmed the suspicions that he and Allura already had. “Someone targeted Keith, Takashi. I believe that it would be in your best interest to figure out who that was before events escalate.” Shiro nodded his head.

“I know, but I don’t know where to start,” he confessed. He ran a hand through his hair. “This has all become so complicated.” 

Why did someone go after Keith? Why did someone go after Keith's parents? 

‘Why did someone go after me?’ Shiro couldn’t help but ask himself. And how could it all be connected? Would he really be able to figure it out? 

“Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness, Takashi,” Dr. Han said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “You’re smart, capable. I have no doubt that you can make sense of this. You just need to step outside of your own head.” He nodded towards the hospital bed. “But that can be done tomorrow.” 

“You’re right. Thank you, Dr. Han.” Dr. Han gave him a small bow.

“Anything for you, Takashi.” Shiro smiled, feeling something warm in his chest, burning away the anxiety. Then he walked across the room, coming to stand at Keith’s bedside, opposite from where Lance and Allura were standing.

“He looks younger when he’s sleeping,” Lance said quietly, watching as Keith let out quiet puffs of air, his features relaxed. Lance reached down and gently moved a lock of hair out of Keith’s eyes, a soft smile on his lips. “It’s like all of his teenage angst has disappeared.” Shiro let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head.

“I can hardly recognize him."

“I wonder what he’s dreaming about,” Allura mused.

“Probably nerdy space stuff,” Lance offered. “Like alien wars or made-up planets or spaceships that look like cats.” Shiro raised a brow as he gave Lance a look, and Lance shrugged his shoulders. “I saw it in a cartoon once.” 

“Do you think we should tell him that he’s the new champion?” Allura asked. Shiro scoffed.

“No. It’ll just get to his head, and it’s big enough as it is.” 

“Not as big as yours. I’m surprised that your helmet fits,” Keith said, and Shiro’s eyes widened. Keith cracked a tired eye open, looking at Shiro. Then he slowly moved to sit up, putting a hand on his forehead.

“Hey man,” Lance said, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Take it easy.”

“Lance?” Keith asked, looking at him in confusion. His voice sounded hoarse and scratchy. “What are you doing here?” Lance pulled his hand away and crossed his arms, tapping his foot and giving Keith a nervous smile. 

“Oh me? I, uh, I just happened to be in the hospital too,” he explained, uncrossing his arms and lifting his wrist for Keith to see. “I was pulling off some epic dance moves and then I tripped. Bad luck, right?” Keith looked at him suspiciously.

“I remember hitting my head, but I didn’t hit it that hard, Lance,” Keith finally said. Then he looked down at his sheets, his expression hard to read. “You’re Blue, aren’t you.” He said it more like a statement than a question. Lance looked at him for a long moment, his eyes big and nervous, and then he looked away.

“Yeah, I am.” Keith frowned and said nothing as he continued to look at his lap, and then out the window at the moon.

“So you know who we are,” Keith said quietly. Lance frowned, crossing his arms again and looking somewhere across the room as he nodded his head slightly.

“I know that you’re the hothead who pulled a knife on me,” Lance said seriously, but Shiro could see the beginnings of a grin that he was trying to suppress. Keith looked at him in surprise, and then his eyes narrowed.

“I didn’t pull a knife on you!”

“You totally did, man. I can’t believe my physics partner tried to kill me.”

“You’re being dramatic!”

“ _You’re_ the one who challenged that ‘New Emperor’ guy to a race even though you’ve never raced before!” Lance protested. Keith opened his mouth, about to argue, but then stopped. He must’ve realized that Lance had a point. 

“I still won,” Keith finally mumbled, pouting slightly as he looked towards the window again. Lance watched him in disbelief for a moment, and then he started to laugh. Keith tried to suppress his smile.

“I’m glad that you’re okay, Keith,” Lance said, and Keith’s expression turned serious when he heard the concern in Lance’s voice.

“I _am_ okay,” Keith said as he turned to look at Lance again, trying to sound reassuring. Then he caught Shiro’s gaze. He sat up straighter in his hospital bed. “And I think I can guess why I’m here.”

“What do you remember?” Shiro asked. Keith looked away, his expression tired and hard to read. Then Keith caught Lance looking at him expectantly, and he looked back at Shiro, a question in his eyes. He didn’t know how much Lance knew. Lance seemed to pick up on the exchange and took a step back, rubbing the back of his neck with his good hand.

“I guess that this is my cue to go,” Lance said, giving them a grin that Shiro could tell was forced. He looked at Keith. “I just wanted to make sure that you were okay,” he began to explain. “When I saw you fall in the street - you wouldn’t stop shaking and - and then when I found out who you were I -” Lance stopped, his voice sounding like it was about to break. He gave Keith another unsteady smile. “I just wanted to make sure that you were okay.” Keith nodded his head, smoothing out his hospital blanket and looking down.

“Yeah, I - I’m glad that you're here.” Keith said, and then his eyes widened a fraction. He looked up at Lance. “I’m not happy that you're at a  _hospital_ \- but I am happy that you got hurt - _no_ , I’m not happy that you got hurt -” Lance laughed, his smile becoming more genuine, and Keith stopped, the beginnings of a blush on his cheeks.

“I get it. I’m happy that I got hurt, too. Looks like fate brought us together tonight,” Lance said, opening his arms dramatically. Keith rolled his eyes, fighting back his smile, but Shiro could see the look in Lance’s eyes. The worry, the relief, the hesitation. Lance tapped his fingers against his thigh, nodding his head. “Yeah, so I’ll get going, then. I hope you feel better.”

“Thanks, Lance.” Keith said, a small smile on his lips, and Lance nodded his head again.

“I should be leaving, too,” Allura said. “Someone should give Lance a ride home.” She looked at Shiro. “I’ll call you later.” 

“Right.” Allura turned to look at Keith, giving him a smile.

“Please recover soon, Keith. You’ll give Shiro an ulcer if you don’t.” Shiro made a noise of protest and Keith smirked. Allura gave them both a wink and then walked over to the door, exchanging words with Dr. Han. Lance walked up to Shiro, holding out his good hand.

“Thanks for letting me see Keith, Mr. Shirogane,” Lance said, and Shiro nodded his head, accepting his hand. Lance pulled him in for a hug, and whispered in his ear, “whatever you plan next - I want in. Promise me, Paladin.” Shiro hesitated, but then he nodded his head again.

“Okay, I promise. Now get home safe.” Lance pulled away, giving Shiro a small salute and an appreciative smile. He gave Keith a pair of finger guns and then joined Allura, who was waiting for him outside the room. Together they walked down the hall and out of sight. Dr. Han gave Shiro one last look, a smile of encouragement, and then walked down the hall as well.

“Lotor poisoned me,” Keith said, and Shiro turned to look at him in surprise.

“Keith -”

“I’m serious, Shiro! I mean, come on, he offers us tea, goads me into drinking it, and then I - you know, my body just freaks out on me?” Keith moved to swing his legs over the side of the hospital bed, and his face suddenly became pale. Shiro moved to help him, but Keith held up a hand for him to stop. “I’m fine.”

“Keith, we all drank that tea.”

“He could’ve put something in mine.”

“But why would he target you? Before last night at _Alfor’s_ he’d only met you once on campus.” Keith shook his head, frowning.

“I don’t know. But I know where we can get some answers. And before you say no, Shiro, I’ve really thought this through. I have a better plan than just explosions and -”

“Let’s do it,” Shiro said, and Keith looked at him in surprise. Shiro sighed, and then looked down at Keith’s hospital bed. “Move over,” he said, nudging Keith’s legs. Keith grumbled and shifted down the bed, giving Shiro room to join him. Shiro leaned against the side of the bed and crossed his arms, looking out the window. The sun was going to rise soon. “I’m tired of playing it safe, Keith. It’s just not who I am, even though that might be hard for you to believe. So I’m going to start taking more risks, and I’m going to trust in you a little more. I think we both deserve that. So yeah, let’s go back to Galra U and see what we can find. That's what we’d decided on doing before this happened anyway.”

“You’re really on board?” Keith asked, looking like he wasn’t sure if he believed what Shiro was saying or not. Then he shook his head. “No wait, I’m not going to question this. Yeah, let’s do it. Before you change your mind.” Shiro looked over to see the excitement on Keith’s face and let out a laugh, shaking his head.

“But let’s get a good night’s sleep first. You really did scare me back there,” Shiro said. Keith’s smile fell, and then he looked at his hands in his lap.

“It freaked me out, Shiro. I could feel it halfway through the race - the nervousness, the shaking, the way my brain began to shut down and all I could feel was - everything, and nothing?” Keith let out a breath. “I just wanted to finish that race. I _couldn’t_ lose.” Shiro nodded his head. 

“Yeah, I think I understand what you mean.” He could feel Keith shift next to him.

“Shiro, when you crashed, do you think -?”

“Yes.” Shiro looked down at his hands, prosthetic fingers weaving through real ones. “It wasn’t my fault. Someone did something to me. I don’t know who, or how, but -” He looked over at Keith. “I want to know why.” Keith clenched his fists.

“Me too.” Shiro looked back at the window, and together they watched the sky get lighter, the stars begin to fade. It would be morning soon. 

For the first time in a while, Shiro felt at peace. He knew that the steps ahead weren’t going to be easy, but at least he was taking them. At least he would finally get some answers.

 

 

“So you’re really going to break into Galra U labs again, huh?” Allura said over the phone, and it was hard to tell from her tone whether she sounded disapproving or impressed. 

“Yeah, we’re going to take another look at those files. It’s the only lead we have,” Shiro said, leaning against the kitchen counter of his apartment. Dr. Holt said that Keith would be allowed to go home, and Dr. Han was even nice enough to give them a ride, since Allura took the Red Lion back to _Alfor’s_. Keith had made a full recovery, and thankfully he didn’t have a concussion from hitting his head. He was sleeping in his room now, only because Shiro had made him promise that he would. Allura sighed. 

“This whole thing is a mess, full of loose ends that are blowing in the wind,” she said, and Shiro hummed in agreement. 

“Full of loose ends that may lead back to when we were teenagers,” Shiro added. Allura was quiet for a moment.

“Lance told me that he made you promise to involve him in all of this.” 

“You knew that he was Blue, right?” Shiro asked. Allura sighed again, and Shiro pushed himself off of the counter, beginning to walk across the kitchen and into the living room. Morning light was peeking through the drawn curtains. He stifled a yawn behind his hand. “It’s okay that you didn’t tell me, Allura. I understand how this works.”

“Sometimes I wish that it worked differently,” Allura said quietly. “These secret identities only seem to make things more complicated, more dangerous, more _tragic_ ,” Allura finished, her voice sad. Shiro knew that she was thinking about her father.

“Maybe we can do something about it, once this is all over.” He could feel Allura’s smile on the other end of the phone.

“I would like that, _Paladin_ ,” she said, a teasing edge in her voice. Shiro laughed, and then he ran a hand through his hair. 

“I just can’t believe that Lance was Blue this whole time. One of my students, and I didn’t even realize. It just makes me wonder what else I’m missing.” Allura said nothing for a long moment.

“Shiro -”

“I mean, I’m not completely oblivious to the world around me, am I?” Shiro continued. “Keith keeps making jokes that I’m getting old, about how my hair is getting whiter, but I shouldn’t be looking for retirement homes yet, right Allura?” 

“No, you shouldn’t,” Allura said, amusement in her voice. “Sometimes it is just hard to see the things that you don’t want to see. It is hard to believe that someone can be different than the person you have decided they are.” Shiro sat on his couch, thinking that over. He wondered if this would be the right time to breach the topic that he knew could be a dangerous one.

“Do you think - Allura, do you think that Lotor could be a different person than you think he is?” 

“That’s out of the blue, Shiro,” Allura said, sounding confused. She took a moment to think. “No, I trust him. I can tell that he has a good heart. He wants to change the world.”

“For the better?” 

“Yes, of course for the better. I wouldn’t have hired him if -” Shiro winced. He could hear the defensiveness in Allura’s voice.

“I’m sorry, Allura. I’m just tired and I asked a question that I shouldn’t have. Keith just said something to me earlier - something way out of left field - and it got in my head.”

“I am not a child, Shiro, I can tell what you’re implying,” Allura said, sounding annoyed. Then she took a deep breath. “I apologize. I am tired, too. I understand why you may be hesitant to trust him, especially with his connection to Galra U and our recent suspicion of that institution, but I know that he is not behind all of this. Besides, like you said, these car accidents date back to when we were teenagers. He would’ve been too young to be capable of this.”

“You’re right,” Shiro said, leaning back on the couch and rubbing his face with his free hand. “If it’s any consolation, Allura, I don’t buy what Keith is saying. I just didn't want to shut him down. What would Lotor have to gain anyway?” He stifled a yawn behind his hand. The events of last night were starting to catch up to him.

“You should get some rest, Shiro,” Allura said, her voice gentle. “You’ll need it if you’re going to run some kind of secret operation with Keith and Lance. 

“Actually, Lance isn’t actually coming with us,” Shiro said, hearing the guilt in his own voice. Allura took a long moment to respond.

“You shouldn’t promise things that you don’t mean, Shiro. Lance is - well, he will take something like this to heart.” Shiro nodded his head, frowning.

“I know, but I need you to trust me, Allura. I have my reasons.” Another long pause.

“I do trust you, Shiro. I’ll see you tonight. And don’t hesitate to call me if you need help.” Shiro frowned again, looking at the early morning light spreading across the hardwood floor of his living room.

“I won’t,” Shiro said. “This will be over soon, Allura.”

“I hope that you’re right.” Shiro heard the call end, and he put down the phone. He leaned back into the couch, stretching his arms. Before he fell asleep he needed to call the high school and explain that he was going to stay home to take care of Keith today. Then they would be ready for the next part of their plan. 

 

 

“Should I go over it again?” Keith asked, pulling on his back gloves and adjusting the collar of his hoodie. Shiro shook his head, shrugging on his bomber jacket.

“I have a steel trap up here,” Shiro said, tapping his temple. Keith rolled his eyes, the corner of his lips tugging up in amusement.

“I haven’t given up that evil clone theory.” Shiro put a hand on his hip.

“If I was an evil clone I would’ve made my move by now.” Keith shrugged his shoulders, walking over to the kitchen counter to grab one of the steamed buns that Mrs. Han had dropped off earlier. She’d brought enough to feed ten people, since they slept through much of the day and hadn’t eaten a proper meal since yesterday. But even after all of that sleep Shiro could still feel the exhaustion lingering in his bones. He watched as Keith took a bite out of his bun, a slight furrow in his brow. He looked lost in thought. He was probably running through the details of the plan again. It was risky, and it took some time for Shiro to agree to all of it, but he couldn’t deny that it was smart.

“Maybe you’re playing the long game, clone Shiro,” Keith finally offered, and Shiro let out a surprised laugh. Keith continued to eat, biting back his grin. Shiro considered him for a moment. Keith wasn't the same kid that Shiro had met in the school library. Sure, he could still be impulsive, and hotheaded, but something about him had changed these past few weeks. He had a goal that he refused to let go of. He had something to channel his passion and energy into. Maybe Lance was right - Keith was the type of person who made it seem like anything was possible if you just refused to give up.

“You know, you’ve turned into quite the leader, Keith,” Shiro mused, and Keith looked at him, his brow furrowing further. He finished his bao and walked away from the counter, moving to tie his red bandana a little tighter around his neck.

“I’m not a leader, Shiro,” Keith said with a frown, not meeting Shiro’s gaze.

“Maybe not right now, but you will be,” Shiro said. He hadn’t really considered that before today, but it felt right. Keith was the new champion, and Shiro could see the unpredictable fire inside of him transforming into a steady flame. One day it would happen, Shiro was certain of it. “Keith, my days as the Paladin of Altea Drive have been over for a long time now.” Keith met his gaze. “And if anything happens to me while we try to get to the bottom of this -”

“Don’t,” Keith said, dropping his arms and clenching his fists. “Nothing is going to happen to you, Shiro. This plan _will_ work.” Shiro gave him a soft smile.

“But you know what I’m going to have to do so that it _does_ work, Keith.” Keith pressed his lips into a fine line, eyes burning. It took a while to convince Keith of this part of the plan, but Keith knew that it was the best option they had, and they didn’t have many. “So if something _does_ happen,” Shiro continued. “I want you to lead Altea Drive towards something better. It’s been - _bad_ \- for a long time now. Since your parents left, really. I think that you were always meant to be the one to save it.” Keith’s eyes widened, and again Shiro was reminded of the kid that he found in the library, all those years ago. He began to feel a little guilty. Keith _was_ still a kid, even though he’d matured. This was a lot to put on him, and in the past Shiro never would have. He would’ve tried to handle everything on his own. But he knew better now. Yes, Keith was still a kid, but he was also someone that Shiro could depend on. He was someone that Shiro considered an equal. Keith rolled his eyes, pulling his black, fingerless gloves farther up his wrists.

“This is just part of your evil clone plan to get on my good side,” Keith grumbled, and Shiro laughed. 

“Sure, let’s go with that. But that doesn’t mean that you’re any less capable of becoming Altea Drive’s new leader.”

“Fine, but I don’t have to be happy about it.” Shiro smiled, zipping up his black jacket. Then he looked at the clock on the wall. The sun was about to set.

“We should get going. We need to pick up the Black Lion.” Keith nodded his head, walking towards the door.

“Can I drive her?”

“That’s not my decision, that’s the Black Lion’s decision. Only she will know when you’re worthy,” Shiro explained, and Keith scoffed, opening the door of their apartment and stepping outside. 

“Sometimes you talk like you’re not a real person.”

 

 

Allura was waiting for them by the ‘other’ parking garage behind Alfor’s main building. For a moment it felt like last night was happening all over again.

Shiro just hoped that things wouldn’t go so wrong this time.

“The Black Lion is right inside, first row on the left,” Allura said, holding out the keys for Shiro to take. Keith nudged Shiro, and then nodded towards the main building. It was dark.

“Are you the only one here?” Keith asked. Allura looked at him, a slightly confused expression on her face.

“Yes, Coran should be finishing up a business meeting with one of our partners and Lotor said that he needed to head out early tonight. There was some kind of family obligation,” Allura explained. Keith frowned and Allura shot Shiro a tired look. Shiro simply shrugged his shoulders and took the keys. 

“Thank you, Allura. We’ll be back with the Black Lion tomorrow.”

“You better be,” Allura warned, and Shiro knew that she really meant ‘You better be _okay_ ’. He could see the worry in her eyes that she was trying to mask.

“Thanks, Allura,” Keith said, although it seemed to take some effort to get out. Allura considered him for a moment, and then she nodded her head.

“Remember what Shiro said - we’re family.” Keith looked up at her through the longer strands of his hair. His red bandana covered much of his face, but his eyes said it all. It was in that moment that Shiro realized what Keith and Allura had in common - they both felt the need to appear strong, even in the moments when they felt their most vulnerable. Keith nodded once, and then the two of them made it to the garage, leaving Allura behind. They easily found the Black Lion, and once they had both slipped into the black leather seating and closed the doors they took a breath.

“I don’t like keeping things from Allura, Keith,” Shiro confessed. Keith pulled his hood over his hair, a determined look on his face.

“It won’t be forever, Shiro. And the first part of our plan already worked, you saw.” Shiro nodded his head. Keith did have a point. “You remember what to do next, right?” Shiro pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialing a number. It only took one ring before the call was picked up.

_“It’s time?”_  

“Yes, we’re heading there now.” With that Shiro ended the call, putting the key into the ignition and pulling out of the garage. 

“Now we have to hope that the Galrans are as predictable as we think they are,” Keith said. Shiro nodded his head, stepping a little harder on the gas and feeling the Black Lion purr as she sped down the dark road.

 

 

The campus was dark and quiet. Shiro would’ve thought that it was odd - a college campus being so quiet - but it _was_ a weeknight, and Galra U had never been all that active at night, even during the weekend. There weren’t many parties, there wasn’t a lot of fun, and there was a strict no-alcohol policy. Shiro wondered how he could’ve forgotten how hard it was to be a student here - he wondered why he ever thought that it was a good idea to recommend it to _any_ of his students, let alone someone as energetic, vibrant, and curious as Lance. This place would’ve withered him.

Shiro sighed as he walked along the darkened quad, adjusting his biker helmet on his head and staying close to the shadows of the buildings as he and Keith headed for the research labs. He thought about what Allura had told him. Lance would be crushed about being kept in the dark. He also thought about the look on Keith’s face when he realized that Lance was Blue. Shiro knew that Keith was trying to play it off, but he could tell that Keith was conflicted. And Shiro couldn’t blame him - Blue had been more of a rival than a friend. Blue was practically a stranger, and now Keith had to somehow reconcile these two identities, these two parts of a person he cared about. Allura was right - secrets, disguises - they only made things more complicated. They left people feeling abandoned. They left people feeling like they were abandoning themselves. 

“There it is,” Keith said quietly, stopping at the edge of the building they were walking along, nodding towards the newer-looking building up ahead. Shiro stopped as well, turning to look at Keith, who was rummaging in the front pocket of his hoodie. After a moment he seemed to have found what he was looking for. He closed his fist and met Shiro’s gaze. “This is the easy part, for us, at least.”

Shiro hesitated, a slight furrow in his brow. “Are you sure that this is all that you want to do? Your mom -”

“I know. But I have to be patient, right? Isn’t that what you always tell me?” The corner of Shiro's lips quirked up in a smile. 

“You’re right. Let’s go.” Together they crept across the quad and towards the building, stopping at one of its side entrances. 

“Kolivan told me that this was the entrance with the least amount of security, but enough for our purposes,” Keith explained. Shiro raised a brow.

“So that’s who you were talking to on the phone? Back at the apartment?” Keith grinned. 

“I told you I did my homework.” Shiro put a hand on his hip.

“And yet I always have to badger you about doing your math homework.” Keith rolled his eyes, kneeling down and opening his fist to reveal a long, metallic-looking object with jagged edges. He put it into the lock above the doorknob. 

“Studying those blueprints and gathering information had a _purpose_ \- saving my mom, getting to the bottom of what happened to us, potentially saving the town from a secret, university-funded weaponized drug project - could solving derivatives do any of that?” Shiro heard a click and Keith turned the handle, opening the door. He put his tool back in his pocket and stood up. Shiro decided against asking Keith how and when he’d learned to pick locks. He was pretty sure that there wouldn’t be an answer that he liked. “Besides, sometimes it’s worth it to see Iverson’s eye twitch the way that it does when he’s mad.” Shiro sighed, shaking his head as he walked through the door. The hallway was illuminated by a few dim lights on the ceiling. Keith shut the door behind them, moving to walk past Shiro. “This way,” he said, and Shiro followed him. Their quiet footsteps echoed in the empty hallway. Keith turned left, and then another left. Soon things began to look familiar, even in the semi-darkness. “The door is here,” Keith said, stopping. Shiro saw the sign on the door - _Hallway to Experimental Labs: Restricted Access Only_. 

“Remember, even though it’s late there are probably still some students and faculty around,” Shiro said, Keith nodded his head. He slowly opened the door, slipping inside. Shiro followed his lead. It was just as quiet as the rest of the building.

“It’s too quiet,” Keith whispered, saying what Shiro had just been thinking. Shiro frowned. He had a feeling that he knew what this meant. They pressed on, making it to the door to the records room. Keith put his hand on the doorknob, looking up and down the hallway before looking at Shiro. “Are you ready for this next part? It’ll probably move pretty fast,” Keith said quietly. Shiro nodded his head, and then Keith carefully opened the door, both of them stepping inside. 

It was exactly the same as when Shiro last saw it. The computer hummed on the desk in the corner, a blue glow emanating from it. Deeper in the room were the two rows of shelves. They both walked in that direction, Keith turning on the flashlight on his phone. Shiro watched as he walked in between the rows, stopping halfway through. He grabbed a file and inspected the label. Then he set it back down and continued on, his phone lighting the way. “The ‘S’s should be down here.” Shiro followed behind him, looking on either side of him at all of the files, some thicker than others, some older. He wondered if these were all past ‘patients’. He wondered just how many lives had been ruined by this lab. He wondered just how many names he would recognize. “Takashi Shirogane,” Keith said, and Shiro looked over at him in surprise. He’d never heard Keith say his full name before - it sounded foreign in his mouth. Then Shiro noticed the file that he was holding in his hands, and walked over to join him. Keith handed him his phone and Shiro shined the light down on the file as Keith opened it. Shiro’s eyes widened slightly as he saw a picture of himself looking back at them.

“This is crazy,” Shiro said quietly, shaking his head slightly. “I mean, at this point I expected that there would be a file on me, but to actually see it -” Keith’s eyes scanned through the page of text, flipping to the next page. Then he looked up at Shiro, his expression hard to read. “What?” Keith frowned and looked back at the file, reading through it once more.

“It looks like they’d been using you as a test subject for a while,” Keith said.

“For how long?” Keith clenched his jaw, flipping to the next page in the file.

“Since you came to Galra U. It says here that they had offered you a scholarship because you were a good candidate for their research.” Shiro had a sick feeling in his stomach.

“Why me?” Keith continued to read, and then he furrowed his brow, refusing to meet Shiro’s gaze. “Keith -” Shiro said, a slight warning in his tone.

“They’d analyzed your application to Galra U, back when you were a senior in high school. They knew you played sports, they knew you had good grades, and -” Keith stopped, anger in his eyes. “You wrote your common application essay about your dad, about how he was sick.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Keith looked up at him, tightening his grip on the file.

“Because if you got sick after being administered the drug, or you died - they would blame it on your father’s illness. They would say that you must have had it, too.” Shiro took a step back in surprise. He’d been a test subject from the start? That’s why they gave him that scholarship? He thought that Galra U had been doing him a kindness after losing his father, but in reality -

“How many times?” Shiro asked, and Keith looked at him in confusion. “How many times did they give me this drug?” Keith flipped back and forth through the pages, reading.

“At least a dozen times. They did it during times of stress - before difficult exams - or when you were sick and went to the infirmary. Actually, the last time they administered the drug was -”

“The night of the crash. I’d gone to the infirmary that day,” Shiro said, clenching his jaw. So it really wasn’t his fault. He’d been drugged, just like Keith had. 

But then why didn’t this make him feel any better?

“Shiro -?” Keith asked, closing the file.

“I’m fine,” Shiro said, giving Keith a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. But Keith knew not to push. He stuffed the file under his hoodie and looked over at the door they’d came in from.

“We still have some time - we should look through the rest of these files, see what information we can get from them,” Keith offered, and Shiro nodded his head. 

“I’ll start at the end of the row, you start from the beginning?” Shiro suggested, and Keith nodded his head, moving past Shiro to walk back to where the shelves began. Shiro moved in the other direction. He stopped at the shelf labeled ‘Z’ and took a breath. All of this - to think that Shiro had been manipulated since _college?_  It made him angry, it made him feel stupid -

It made him wonder how much of anything was real. His anxiety, his pain, his worry, how much of it was him, and how much of it was this drug? When was the last time he was really in control of how he felt? Ad why had it taken him this long to figure it out? If it wasn’t for Keith - would he have ever found out? He took another breath. This wasn’t the time to think about all of this. _Patience yields focus_.

He didn’t recognize any of the ‘Z’ names, so he moved on to the ‘X’s. There was only one, another name he didn’t recognize, so he moved on. Some names were vaguely familiar - he wondered if they had been fellow students, or maybe even professors. Then his eyes fell on a name that he knew well, and his eyes widened. 

“Keith,” Shiro said, and Keith came to join him as Shiro pulled the file from the shelf. It was a little thicker than the others, but instead of medical records most of it was pictures. Pictures of this person around town, on Galra U’s campus, talking to someone that both Shiro and Keith recognized.

“But that’s my mom,” Keith said. Shiro quickly read through the file, shaking his head slightly. 

“This can’t be right,” Shiro said, looking at another picture of this person getting into a car at night, talking into a phone.

“Shiro, why -?” Keith began. Shiro could feel his breath catch in his chest. The name glared back at him. “Shiro, if this is true, that means -” Shiro shook his head.

“We must be missing something, this can’t be true - I mean, it wouldn’t make sense. I would’ve known. _We_ would’ve known. 

“Shiro, this changes the plan. Are you sure that you can do this -?”

“This isn’t real!” Shiro said, looking wildly at Keith, who was looking back at him with wide eyes. It couldn’t be right - because if it was, then what Keith said was true.

This didn’t just change the plan. This changed everything.

In that moment an alarm sounded and the dark room was illuminated by red flashing lights on the ceiling. Shiro swore under his breath

“Time to get out of here,” Shiro said, putting the file back.

“But shouldn’t we take that too?” Shiro shook his head.

“That wasn’t what we came here for. It’s better if they don’t know that we know.” Keith hesitated, but then he nodded his head in agreement. Together they hurried out of the room and into the hall. They could hear voices coming from around the corner. They looked around for a place to hide. Keith nodded his head towards a nearby door, moving to open it. Thankfully it was unlocked. They slipped inside, finding themselves in what looked like an empty lab space. They listened as the sound of hurried footsteps grew louder. 

“They aren’t here!” a voice called from the records room

“Then check the rest of the floor! They couldn’t have gotten far!” Keith cursed under his breath, shining his flashlight around the room to find an exit. But the only way out was through the door they’d came in from.

“We’ll have to hide,” Shiro whispered. “If we’re patient, we’ll find an opportunity to slip out.” Keith nodded his head, turning off his light and crouching behind a lab table. Shiro moved to stand behind a tall filing cabinet by the door, reaching over to grab a microscope and holding it slightly above his head. He noticed Keith watching him and put a finger to his lips. They listened to the sound of muffled voices from farther down the hall. 

“Did you check that room?” the first voice asked, and Keith glared at the door, slowly sliding his knife out from behind his back. The blade caught the moonlight from the window. Shiro found himself holding his breath as he heard footsteps come to stop outside of the door. There was silence for a long moment.

“Wait! Over here! the second voice called, and the footsteps hurried towards the other end of the hall. Shiro met Keith’s gaze and nodded towards the door, placing the microscope back on the table. He carefully opened the door and gestured for Keith to go into the hall. Keith stood up and left the room, knife still in hand. 

“We have to move fast,” Keith said, Shiro shutting the door behind him. “We don’t have much time until -”

“You!” a voice yelled, and Shiro turned to see a man in a lab coat standing at the other end of the hall, pointing at them. He lifted his coat to speak into a communicator device. “They’re here in the west hall! I need backup!” Keith grabbed Shiro’s arm and pulled him down the hall. Soon the two of them were running. “Stop!” the man called, chasing after them. 

“This way!” Keith said, and they headed right. They stopped to see another man in a lab coat blocking the exit. “Shit.” Keith looked wildly around, trying to decide where they should go next.

“Here!” a voice called out to them, and Shiro and Keith turned their heads to see an open door across the hall. They couldn’t see whoever had spoken, and the door only led to darkness. Keith looked at Shiro, and Shiro nodded his head once. It was the only option they had. Together they ran towards the open door, the two scientists not far behind. They slipped through the doorway and closed the door behind them. The scientists made it to the door a moment later, one of them jiggling the handle, but it was locked. 

“Get out your key!” one of them demanded, and the other began to fumble with a set of keys.

“Follow me,” a voice said. Shiro turned and found himself in a dark hallway that he didn’t recognize. Then he saw a figure standing on the other end of the hallway, their face concealed by a black scarf. The figure moved quickly down the hall, and Shiro and Keith followed. They went through another door, then through another hallway, and it was when the figure ran through a patch of moonlight coming from the window that Shiro got a better look at her. She had an athletic build, with very short purple hair that was pinned away from her face. Her skin was pale. If she didn’t look so young, if her skin was only a few shades darker, Shiro would’ve wondered if this was Keith’s mom. But that would’ve been impossible. He and Keith had a feeling they already knew where she was. “Through here,” the mystery woman said, opening a large door for them to go through. Shiro and Keith went through the door and found themselves in an empty lecture hall. It looked older, abandoned, like there hadn’t been a class here in years. Shiro definitely didn’t remember ever being in here himself, and he thought that he was familiar with most of the classrooms on campus.

“Thank you, Acxa. I can take it from here,” a voice said from the front of the room. The woman - Acxa, bowed her head slightly and left the room, closing the door behind her. It was dark - the windows offering the only possible light, creating patches of moonlight on the carpeted floor. “I know that this all must be confusing,” the voice began. Shiro’s eyes strained to make out the figure. All he knew was that the voice was familiar. He heard a metallic sound and looked over to see Keith holding his knife out in front of him, moving into a defensive stance. Shiro heard a laugh. “And you both must feel quite betrayed by the Galra.” The figure stepped into one of the patches of moonlight, and Shiro’s eyes widened to see Lotor, hands clasped behind his back and a grin on his face. “So let’s sit down and have a chat, shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that there isn't a whole lot of Adam in this chapter, but he will have a really big part in the next one! <3


	10. Final Lap (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so the next chapter WILL be the last one lol I always feel like in my fics I'm like: okay only x amount left! And then I always end up coming up with new ideas and new scenes and I end up writing extra chapters whoops
> 
> But I feel pretty confident that I can wrap it up in the next chapter, and then add an epilogue at the end of it. But there's always a chance that I add an epilogue chapter on it's own because I have no self-control haha
> 
> I hope you guys like this one, it might be one of my favorites because, you know, adashi <3

“Are we really supposed to trust you?” Keith asked, glaring at Lotor and crossing his arms. “What if they find us in here?” Lotor smiled, moving to sit in the high-backed chair next to the desk at the front of the lecture hall. 

“This room used to be for the criminal law classes. Criminology majors used to complain about how out of the way it was, and first years always got lost trying to find it - that is, before the witch shut the Criminology program down entirely,” Lotor explained. “Most people have forgotten that this small wing of the building even exists. They won’t be looking for you here.”

“The witch?” Shiro asked. Lotor’s eyes flashed, and then he gestured to the first row of seats in front of him. Shiro looked at Keith expectantly, but Keith crossed his arms and looked away, not moving. Shiro sighed and walked down the steps until he reached the front row, taking a seat. Keith went over to the side wall and leaned against it, not taking his eyes off of Lotor. Lotor smiled at Shiro once he was seated. 

“The witch is the woman who runs this university,” Lotor explained, folding his hands in his lap. There was something poisonous in his smile. “And she’s my mother.” Keith pushed off of the wall, an angry expression on his face as he opened his mouth, but Lotor held up a hand to stop him. Keith glared at him, looking like he was about to protest, but then he tightened his arms against his chest and leaned back against the wall. “I am going to try and explain this the best way that I can,” Lotor continued, his gaze flicking over to the back doors that Shiro and Keith had come in from. “I can promise that they won’t find you in here, but I also do not think that it is wise to remain at Galra U longer than is necessary.”

“Then get on with it,” Keith said, and Lotor smiled again, his eyes falling on Shiro.

“I assume that you saw the file, the one about you.” Shiro clenched his jaw, looking at the floor. “That couldn’t have been easy,” Lotor continued, sympathy in his voice. Keith scoffed, and Shiro lifted his eyes to meet Lotor’s gaze.

“I don’t care about what’s easy,” Shiro replied evenly, and he saw what looked like approval in Lotor’s expression. “How about you explain how you know who we are.” Lotor let out a short laugh.

“I mean, it wasn’t terribly difficult. Two people break into the records room in the middle of the day, and then two people of similar height and physique break into the same room only a few days later, but with a helmet and a bandana to disguise themselves?” Lotor shook his head, an amused smile on his lips. “I hope that you have not underestimated my intelligence.”

“You knew who we were before tonight,” Keith said, lifting his chin slightly. “You’ve known from the beginning.” Lotor looked over at Keith, his eyes flashing again in a way that reminded Shiro of an animal on the hunt.

“Maybe _I_ have been the one underestimating _your_ intelligence, Keith,” Lotor observed, and Keith only glared back at him. Lotor sighed. “Yes, I’ve known that you are Blade for quite some time now. And I’ve known that Shiro was the Paladin even longer than that.” Lotor turned to look back at Shiro, seeing his surprised expression. “Takashi Shirogane is introduced to the newest strain of the witch’s drug.” Shiro clenched his fists at the sound of his full name, but he bit his tongue. They needed as much information as they could get. “He’s administered the drug that the witch has the highest hopes for, and then that night the Paladin crashes and disappears? You see, the witch isn’t one to believe in coincidences,” Lotor explained. “And to her, that night was fate. In the past her drug had only been able to cause minor effects on her - participants.” Lotor wrinkled his nose at the word. “Enough to change their behavior but not enough to be noticeable. But that night - that night she almost killed the champion. That night proved to her that she was ready to exact her revenge on another.”

“My mom,” Keith said, anger simmering in his eyes. 

“I did not know that you were Marmora’s son at first,” Lotor continued. “But then you mentioned that your mother used to work at Galra U, and when I hacked into Allura’s server -”

“You what?” Shiro asked. He could feel his blood begin to boil. “Allura _trusted_ you -”

“I know,” Lotor said quietly, and Shiro watched as Lotor’s eyes tightened in pain as he looked away. “I know that I have done things that would make me an enemy in your eyes, in Allura’s eyes, but I needed access to her database on Altea Drive, and on the identities of the racers there. I needed to get on the witch’s good side.”

“Is that why you drugged me? So that you could win your mommy’s approval?” Keith asked, his words like daggers. Lotor shot Keith an annoyed look.

“It was your reckless behavior that got you both into this mess,” Lotor said. “I was only supposed to work at Alfor’s to keep an eye on things, to give reports to the witch assuring her that Alfor’s daughter was not plotting revenge after what happened to her father.” Lotor grimaced, looking at his folded hands in his lap. “The witch has become more paranoid, as of late.” He narrowed his gaze. “But then you two thought that it would be a good idea to go poking into matters that you had no business being involved in.” Keith scoffed, walking across the room to stand next to where Shiro was sitting. 

“Not involved in?” Keith repeated, shaking his head in disbelief. “She took my parents away from me. She almost killed Shiro, she _ruined our lives_ -” Lotor moved to stand.

“And now because of your actions she is threatening to ruin mine!” Lotor spat, clenching his fists in anger. Then he exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. Shiro shifted in his chair, leaning forward.

“You never wanted to do these things, did you?” Shiro began. “But you had no choice.” Lotor dropped his hand, not meeting Shiro’s gaze, but his posture said it all. “What is she threatening to do?” Lotor furrowed his brow.

“I told you that I want to change the world, to make it better,” Lotor began. “I, along with a few other students at Galra U, one of which escorted you here, have been working on a project that involves a new source of renewable energy. It will be inexpensive, easy to harness, and could help us save our already crumbling biosphere.” Lotor paused, letting out a sigh. “Quintessence could save the world, and yet she has been using it for her own selfish needs.”

“Wait, has she been using it for her drug?” Keith asked. Lotor frowned.

“If I don’t help her she will revoke funding for my project, take all of the quintessence for herself, and terminate the environmental studies program at Galra U. She will do everything in her power to make sure that my aspirations will not be achieved.” Shiro furrowed his brow, and then he moved to stand. 

“Why are you telling us all this?” The corner of Lotor’s lips tugged up in a tired smile.

“Because I cannot do this anymore. I cannot keep taking advantage of Allura’s kindness. I cannot stand by while the witch experiments on the students at this university. I cannot continue to hurt the son of the woman I owe a great debt to.” Lotor looked over at Keith as he said that last part, and Keith’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“You knew my mother?” Lotor looked away from them both.

“I was thirteen. My father was angry, tearing his office apart, and when I went to check and see if he was okay -” Lotor paused, clenching his jaw. “He took his anger out on me. I’d seen him angry before, but not like that. I couldn’t even recognize him. I found myself looking for my mother, but she had locked herself in her private research lab to continue her work -” Lotor stopped again. “I ended up sitting on a bench in the middle of this campus, in the dark. It was cold that night. But then your mother found me. She explained that she used to be a professor here, and she wrapped her arm around me and I told her everything.” Lotor frowned, his gaze far away. “No one had ever listened to me like that before. She was the first one who made me believe that I could have an impact on the world. My life changed after that day, in many ways.” There was something guarded in Lotor’s expression. Then he looked at Keith and Shiro. “I am telling you all of this because I’ve decided to help you.” He looked directly at Keith. “I can take you to your mother, and we can save her together.”

“We’re not accepting help from you,” Keith said without hesitation, and Shiro looked at him in surprise.

“Keith -”

“There’s no way that we can trust him!” Keith protested, turning to look at Shiro. “He’s done too much! How can we be so sure that this isn’t part of his plan?”

“But he knows where your mother is -”

“We don’t _need_ him,” Keith insisted. “We can figure this out, just the two of us.”

“Because that’s worked out so well so far,” Lotor mumbled, and Keith shot him a glare. He walked up to Lotor. 

“I don’t care what kind of debt you say that you owe my mom,” Keith said through gritted teeth, his hand hovering over where his knife was concealed. “I don’t care if she comforted you, told you whatever you needed to hear, _changed your life_ -” Shiro heard the obvious anger in Keith’s voice, and looked warily between him and Lotor. “None of that changes the fact that she was taken from me, my _dad_ was taken from me, and you’ve had a part in all that. You’re not going to change to the world, you’re too much of a _coward_.” Lotor’s eyes flashed in anger, and he smiled, baring his teeth.

“You’re making a mistake, _child_ ,” he spat. “You will _never_ find her without me.” Keith took another step towards Lotor, clenching his fists and meeting his gaze.

“Watch me.” With that Keith turned, walking up the aisles of seats until he made it to the door. He turned to give Shiro an expectant look, waiting for Shiro to join him.

“Keith, we should think this through -” Shiro began.

“Who’s side are you on, Shiro?” Keith said, his voice shaking in anger. “Will you _ever_ be on mine?” Keith ran a frustrated hand through his hair, and then he opened the door, leaving the room. The door closed behind him, and a silence settled between Shiro and Lotor.

“You know that I’m right,” Lotor said. Shiro turned back to look at him, and he watched as Lotor pulled something out of his pocket. He walked up to Shiro, holding out a small square of paper. Shiro looked at it for a moment, and then he accepted it. “And you know how to contact me. You should go after him before he gets himself into more trouble.” Shiro stayed there for a beat, looking at Lotor for a long moment, eyes narrowed, and then he put the card in his pocket, walking towards the door that Keith had just left through. He stopped, and then turned to look at Lotor once more.

“I know what it’s like,” Shiro said, “to have a mother who’s never there when you need her. To have a father that makes you feel like you can’t do anything right.” Shiro paused. “To want to change, but also being afraid of what it might mean to change.” Lotor let out a dry laugh.

“Don’t pretend to know me.” The corner of Shiro’s lips quirked up in a smile.

“Then don’t pretend to know us.” Shiro opened the door, leaving the lecture hall. Keith was waiting for him outside. He pulled his hood over his hair and began making his way down the hall.

“We’ll come back for her,” Keith said, and Shiro noticed the way his fists were clenched at his sides. 

“We will,” Shiro agreed, and together they managed to make it back to the Black Lion without being spotted. They headed for home, the card Lotor had given Shiro burning a hole in his pocket. 

Shiro knew what had to be done next. 

 

 

The night had gotten cold. Shiro shoved his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket, watching as his breath formed a cloud when he exhaled. He leaned against the hood of the Black Lion, looking ahead to see the high school illuminated by lights that ran across the roof. 

He knew that it was risky to be here, and he wasn’t sure what he would say if he got caught by security, but his heart had been calling him here, ever since he learned what he’d learned in the records room. He still couldn’t believe it. He was finding it hard to believe a lot of things, really. He pulled Lotor’s card out of his pocket, looking down at it. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

There was so much pain in this town, and it all led somewhere. But to who? The witch? And who was she? How could someone be able to destroy so many lives?

But was his life even destroyed? He thought about Keith, about Allura, about Mrs. and Dr. Han. Lance even crossed his mind, along with Hunk and Pidge. Coran, too. 

And Adam, and Pilot. Pilot and Adam. Shiro hadn’t been given an easy life, but there were always people who wanted to help him, and people he wanted to help in return. How could he say that his life had been destroyed, when he was surrounded by so much life and love? No, this witch, whoever she was, she didn’t destroy anything. 

Shiro was _stronger_ than that. He was the Paladin. 

It was then that Shiro heard noise coming from somewhere behind him, and he was pulled away from his thoughts. He quickly grabbed his helmet, which had been resting on top of the hood, and put it on. Then he crouched behind his car, listening. His brow furrowed in confusion. Was that a sneeze? He slowly peeked over his hood to try and find the source of the noise. He watched as a figure walked across the football field - they must’ve come from the other side of the parking lot. They were holding something awkwardly in their hands, something black and decently sized. They sneezed again, but they kept going. Shiro frowned as he watched the figure. What was someone doing here? It was cold. It was the middle of the night. He found himself walking towards the fence that lined the football field. He rested his fingertips against the chain links, watching. The figure finally stopped in the middle of the field, setting down the object and putting their hands on their hips. They began to adjust the object, and Shiro realized what it was. And then a moment later he realized _who_ it was.

It was hard to tell at first, since he wasn’t wearing his usual button-up and sweater vest combo, but Shiro was certain that it was him. But _why_ was he here? Without really thinking about it, Shiro found himself going back to his car, opening the back door and pulling out a blanket. Then he moved along the border of the field and entered the turf, walking quietly towards where Adam was angling the telescope towards the sky. Adam’s back was turned towards him. Shiro watched as Adam sneezed again, and then he hesitated, stopping where he was. 

He wasn’t Shiro right now. He was the Paladin. Would that be too risky? But what if he approached Adam as Shiro and Adam recognized the Black Lion? It _was_ plastered all over the news a few years back. Maybe he should go back to the Black Lion before Adam noticed him. He should drive away, do what he needed to do instead of stalling. Then Adam sneezed again and Shiro made his decision. Besides, a part of him had come here because he’d secretly hoped that he would find Adam here, too. And a part of him was willing to take the risk.

“What are you doing out here?” Shiro asked, and Adam let out a noise of surprise, quickly turning around and holding out his arms in a karate-like fashion. Shiro’s heart fluttered - that was cute. Then Shiro saw what almost looked like recognition in Adam’s eyes, then confusion, and then Adam was crossing his arms and looking him up and down. He was wearing a navy turtleneck tonight, his sleeves long enough to cover his hands. His nose was red from the cold. 

“I could ask you the same thing, masked stranger,” Adam replied, shifting his stance. “You have a very hit-man vibe going on, are you here to eliminate me?” He uncrossed one of his arms, tapping a finger against his chin. “I had a feeling that my sister would hire a hitman one of these days - she still has a grudge against me for taking that last ice pop when we were kids - but I didn’t think that it would be today.” He dropped his hand, shrugging his shoulders. “I guess June has always been unpredictable.” Shiro watched Adam in bewilderment for a moment, and then he shook his head, chuckling. He took a step towards Adam, and Adam shot him a wary look, but he didn’t step away. Shiro held out his blanket.

“Take it. You must be crazy to be out in the cold like this, so I don’t think any hitman would risk messing with you.” Adam considered the blanket for a moment, and then he looked back at Shiro. Shiro knew that Adam couldn’t see his eyes through the black visor of his helmet, but his inquisitive gaze was enough to make Shiro’s cheeks warm. 

“Make sure to tell that to your hitman friends,” Adam sniffed, and then he accepted the blanket, wrapping it around his shoulders. He closed his eyes and smiled as he snuggled into it, and Shiro’s cheeks warmed further. “And I’m not crazy. You’re the crazy one for not knowing what night it is.” Shiro raised a brow, crossing his arms. 

“What’s tonight?” Adam cracked an eye open, a secretive smile on his face, and then he turned and walked over to the telescope, waving Shiro over. Shiro moved to join him. 

“Have you ever heard of a Blood Moon eclipse?” Adam asked. Shiro furrowed his brow. He vaguely remembered Keith mentioning something about it, but he didn’t know much more than that. He shook his head. Adam excitedly adjusted the knobs of his telescope. “It’s when the Moon passes through Earth’s shadow, and the Earth is lined up between the Moon and the Sun. That causes the only light that reaches the Moon to be from the Earth’s atmosphere, and since the air molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere scatter out most of the blue light, the light that does reflect on the Moon’s surface produces a red glow.” Shiro looked up at the Moon.

“It doesn’t look red to me,” Shiro observed, and Adam looked over his shoulder at him and smiled.

“That’s because it hasn’t started yet.” Then Adam stepped away from the telescope, facing Shiro once more and putting his hands on his hips, letting the blanket drape around his shoulders like a cape. “Now would you care to explain to me why the former champion of Altea Drive is here at my high school?” Shiro’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“I thought you thought that I was a hitman -” Shiro began, and Adam rolled his eyes, adjusting his glasses.

“Come on, I snuck out of my house to see a few races when I was younger. I know that helmet. I know who you are.” Then something in Adam’s expression became shy, and he looked away. Shiro smiled.

“Do you want an autograph?” Adam’s gaze flicked back over to Shiro and he laughed, shaking his head slightly. Then he seemed to consider it.

“Actually, I might -” Then Shiro watched as Adam’s gaze drifted past him and towards the parking lot. His eyes widened. “Is that the Black Lion?” Shiro looked over at the Black Lion as well, rubbing the back of his neck and feeling the hard plastic of his helmet.

“Yeah, it probably wasn’t a good idea to bring her here but -” Then Shiro’s eyes widened as Adam moved to grab on to Shiro’s jacket, pulling him closer.

“I want to see her,” Adam said, eyes wide and pleading. Shiro had to turn his face away, happy that Adam couldn’t see his blush from under his helmet. 

“Okay, but what about the Blood Moon?” Adam let go of Shiro and pulled back his sleeve to check his watch. Then he looked back up at Shiro and smiled.

“We have time, let’s go!” Adam grabbed Shiro’s gloved hand and led him over to the parking lot. Shiro laughed, shaking his head.

“You seem to be very comfortable with someone who barely know,” Shiro observed, and he thought that he could see Adam’s cheeks get pinker as he let go of Shiro’s hand, still walking towards the parking lot. 

“You seem like a good person,” Adam offered over his shoulder. “And I may be a bit of a Paladin fan.” 

“I never pegged you as the type who would go to Altea Drive,” Shiro mused, and Adam glanced back at him, giving him a curious look. 

“You say that like we’re friends,” Adam observed, eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. 

“What? No! I, uh, I meant that when I first saw you carrying a telescope and wearing a turtleneck - and then you talked about space stuff I just figured -”

“That I’m too much of a nerd to appreciate street racing?” Adam asked, raising a brow. Shiro resisted the urge to slap his forehead. He wasn’t used to this version of Adam. The Adam he knew at school was patient and sensitive, sometimes a little shy. This Adam was sarcastic, more relaxed, even snarky.

He was a lot like someone else Shiro knew.

“I’m sorry,” Shiro said sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to offend you -” Adam gasped, and then he left Shiro to run up to the Black Lion.

“She’s even more beautiful up close!” Adam said, wonder in his voice as he reached out to touch her. He looked over at Shiro for permission, and Shiro nodded his head, gesturing at the Black Lion. Adam ran a gentle hand over her hood, lips parted and eyes alight with excitement. Butterflies fluttered in Shiro’s stomach. He moved to stand next to Adam, and he opened the passenger’s side door, looking at Adam expectantly. 

“Do you want to sit inside?” Adam looked up at him, and then he nodded his head, bending his head to slip into the passenger seat. Shiro closed the door and then walked around to open the driver’s side door, sitting down and closing the door behind him. He watched as Adam looked at the different buttons inside.

“This is a pretty classic set up you have here,” Adam said. “Could use a few updates, but -” Shiro raised a brow, and Adam caught his look, smiling sheepishly. “I mean, she’s perfect.” Shiro nodded his head once, leaning back in his seat.

“We’ve been through a lot together,” Shiro said. “And now we’re both enjoying a nice retirement.” Adam leaned back in his seat as well.

“It doesn’t look like it,” he observed, and Shiro felt Adam’s eyes on him. “It seems like you have something on your mind.” Shiro met Adam’s gaze, a tired smile on his lips.

“Can you keep a secret?” Shiro asked. Adam seemed slightly surprised by the question, but then he nodded his head.

“I’ve been known to be pretty good at it,” Adam said with a smile of his own. Shiro turned his face back towards the windshield, looking at the back doors of the high school.

“I’m about to do something risky, potentially dangerous,” Shiro said, and Adam was quiet, waiting for him to continue. Shiro sighed. “There’s something going on at Galra U. The woman who runs the place - she’s been hurting people.” Shiro paused, looking down at his gloved hands in his lap. “She’s hurt me.” He heard Adam shift in his seat, and he looked up to see Adam watching him with an intensity that reminded him of Keith. 

“What did she do to you?” Adam asked, his voice quiet and angry. Shiro looked away, the seriousness of Adam’s gaze too much for him to look at.

“They’ve been developing this drug in their research labs, a drug that they’ve been using on their students, and on people that they want to get out of their way.” Shiro clenched his fists. “They tested it out on me. They targeted Marmora and Firefighter. They’ve been doing this for years, and I need to stop it. I can’t let anyone else get hurt.”

“Shouldn’t you call the police or something? Why does it have to be up to you?” Adam asked. Shiro frowned.

“I’m not sure if I can trust the police. I’m not sure if I can trust anyone. And I can’t risk people getting hurt because I put my faith in the wrong people.”

“Then why are you telling me this? You don’t even know me,” Adam said. Shiro looked at him, a half-smile on his face.

“You seem like a good person,” Shiro offered, echoing what Adam had said before. Adam looked at him for a moment, and then he shook his head.

“You shouldn’t do this, Paladin. This is your _life_ at stake. You don’t need to prove anything -”

“I’m not trying to prove anything,” Shiro interrupted. “It’s just something that I have to do.” Adam placed a hand on Shiro’s arm, and Shiro clenched his jaw. Maybe it was a mistake coming here.

“Then don’t do it alone,” Adam said softly, and Shiro looked at him in surprise. “There must be someone that can help you, someone at Altea Drive -”

“There is someone, someone that I was going to reach out to tonight.” Adam pulled his hand away, waiting for Shiro to continue. “Pilot. He’s the champion - actually, I guess he’s the former champion.” Adam looked at the dashboard, his expression guarded.

“I don’t think I’m familiar with that name - I haven’t been to Altea Drive in a while. What’s he like?” Shiro smiled, thinking through his answer.

“He’s a total dork,” Shiro began. “And a little cocky.” Adam scoffed.

“He doesn’t sound very capable to me,” Adam said. Shiro smiled, looking back at the school.

“You didn’t let me finish.” Shiro paused, taking a breath. “He also cares a lot about the people in his life, and would do anything to protect them. He wants the best for people, even if it comes at the cost of his own happiness. He listens to me, and doesn’t push me to be something I can’t. But at the same time has seen something in me that I thought I lost a long time ago. He’s helped me a lot, already. If anyone’s capable, it’s him.” Adam was quiet for a long moment.

“It sounds like he’s important to you,” Adam said quietly, a small smile on his lips. Shiro smiled as well, looking bashfully down at his hands. Adam was amazing, and a good friend, and he still could make Shiro flustered with one smile, but Pilot was amazing too - he was fun, and caring, and patient, and he always knew what to do. It was like he saw _Shiro_ , not just the Paladin, and Shiro had feelings for him that he couldn’t deny. And before coming here he knew that his heart had made a very important decision.

“Yeah,” he paused. “I think I’m in love with him.” Adam’s eyes widened at that, and then he coughed into his fist, adjusting his glasses and shifting in his seat.

“Woah, that’s - uh,” Adam began, looking at Shiro in wonder. “You - _really_? But you’re, you know, the _Paladin_.” Shiro laughed at that.

“If you knew who I was under this helmet, you wouldn’t think I was so impressive,” Shiro said. Adam seemed to consider that.

“No, I think that I still would,” Adam said slowly, looking at Shiro with interest. Then he looked out the windshield. “So you’re going to ask Pilot for help?” Shiro nodded.

“I feel like Pilot deserves to know.” Shiro paused. “His brother was drugged, too.” The car was silent, and Shiro looked over to see Adam looking back at him with wide eyes. 

“What?” 

“Sorry, I guess that was kind of personal, it wasn’t my place to -”

“ _Paladin_ ,” Adam said, that intensity back in his eyes. Then he stopped himself, furrowing his brow. He had what looked like a guilty expression on his face. “Paladin, there’s something that you need to know -” At that moment his watch began to beep, and he looked down at the time. He seemed to consider something, and then he swore under his breath. He opened the car door and stepped outside, looking at Shiro expectantly. “Come on!” Shiro looked at him in confusion, and then he opened his own door, stepping outside and chasing Adam back to the telescope, his blanket still draped around Adam’s shoulders. “Look!” Adam said, pointing at the sky. Shiro finally caught up to him, and his gaze followed where Adam was pointing.

“Woah,” Shiro breathed, tilting his chin upwards. He watched as a shadow began to fall across the Moon, slowly eating it up until it was only a crescent in the sky. And then that shadow developed a red tinge, until the Moon looked like a crimson marble in the sky.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Adam breathed, and Shiro looked down at him. His hair was wild and curled around his face. Moonlight reflected off of his glasses. His smile was soft and warm. 

“Yeah,” Shiro breathed, a smile tugging at his own lips. 

“Make sure you ask this Pilot for help, okay?” Adam said, still looking at the Moon. “I think he’d hate the idea of you doing this on your own as much as I would.”

“Okay.” 

“And you should let him know now, I mean, maybe give him some time to meet up with you because he could be sleeping or watching a movie or something but -” Adam rambled on, but then he stopped, shooting Shiro an embarrassed look before looking at the Moon once more. “But you should let him know.”

“After this,” Shiro said, looking back at the Moon. “I don’t want to miss this.” Adam smiled. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, considering something, and then he moved over to where Shiro was standing, throwing a part of the blanket over Shiro’s shoulder so that they were sharing it. Shiro held on to his end. Then Adam laughed, shaking his head slightly.

“This is so bizarre, but a part of me feels like I’ve known you for a long time,” Adam said. Shiro smiled.

“Ke - my brother once explained to me that we’re all made up of stardust,” Shiro offered. “So maybe we’re from the same star.”

“Yeah,” Adam breathed. “That feels right.”

 

 

“What took you so long?” Shiro asked with a half-smile, crossing his arms and leaning against the hood of the Black Lion. He watched as Pilot got out of his car and closed the driver’s side door, jogging over to him. 

“Oh sorry I was, uh,” Pilot began, hastily adjusting his goggles and pulling on the sleeves of his flight jacket. He put his hands on his hips and gave Shiro a grin. “I was on a secret mission, I’m a spy in my normal life. It’s no big deal.” Shiro raised a brow.

“But you mentioned working with kids,” Shiro pointed out, a teasing edge to his smile. Pilot raised in brows, probably surprised that Shiro remembered him mentioning that, and then he gave Shiro a playful smile of his own.

“Yeah, I train them at this top secret base,” Pilot replied, putting his hands behind his head. “They’re going to be secret space spies.” Shiro hid his smile behind his hand.

“I’ve never heard of a space spy.” Pilot moved to lean against the hood of the Black Lion as well. He crossed his arms and tilted his chin towards the sky. Shiro watched him. 

“They’re pretty cool - sadly I can’t tell you much about them, you know, since it’s top secret and all.”

“I understand,” Shiro said with a nod, a smile still tugging at his lips, and Pilot ran a hand along the Black Lion’s hood.

“So I finally get to meet her,” Pilot said. “You know, this is another dream fulfillment moment right now. If you told me that I would get to touch the Black Lion, let alone get to know the _Paladin_ \- I think I would’ve fainted right on the pavement.” Shiro laughed, shaking his head slightly. 

“Was I what you expected the Paladin to be?” Shiro asked, teasing him again. Pilot furrowed his brow in thought.

“Not exactly,” Pilot confessed.

“Oh,” Shiro said, looking down at the road. They were in the middle of Altea Drive, the headlights from their cars the only light available. Pilot bumped his shoulder.

“I think you might be better than I ever could’ve hoped for,” Pilot said honestly, and Shiro’s cheeks warmed. 

‘I love you,’ Shiro wanted to whisper, but he bit his tongue. Now wasn’t the time. 

“Have you been in contact with Blue since last night?” Shiro asked instead. Pilot nodded his head.

“He gave me a call to let me know that he was fine. Just a wrist brace,” Pilot said. He tapped his fingers against his thigh, shifting his position on the hood on the car. “He wasn’t very clear on whether -” Pilot paused, looking at Shiro nervously. “Do you know who he is now?” 

“Allura took care of him at the hospital,” Shiro explained, a guilty feeling in his chest. He didn’t want to lie to Pilot, but if Lance hadn’t told him, and it wasn’t _technically_ a lie - 

“Okay, good good,” Pilot said, letting out a sigh of relief. He gave Shiro a half-smile. “My crew is kind of my responsibility, and it’s not like I don’t trust you, I just think it’s best if their identities are kept a secret. You couldn’t imagine the amount of times I’ve had to cover for Blue so all of Altea Drive didn’t know who he was.” Shiro laughed.

“I think I can imagine it,” Shiro offered. That seemed pretty on-brand for Lance.

“And I was worried that he might’ve let something slip or done something at the hospital but he hasn’t been answering all of my calls. He keeps saying that he’s busy -” Pilot explained, shaking his head. Then he laughed. “I’m starting to sound like his mother.” Shiro bumped his shoulder.

“Hey, I guess we both know what it’s like watching over our reckless teens,” Shiro offered, and Pilot scoffed, nodding his head slightly. Then he straightened up and looked at Shiro.

“How is Blade doing?” Pilot asked. He put a hand on his forehead. “I’m the worst I can’t believe I didn’t ask that sooner -” Shiro put a hand on Pilot’s knee and he stopped. Shiro thought he could see the beginnings of a blush on his cheeks. 

“Blade is fine. He was in the hospital for a few hours but eventually the doctors told me that he was back to normal. Mostly I just had to wait for the drug to get out of his system.” Pilot raised his brows at that.

“He was _drugged_?” Shiro furrowed his brow, pulling his hand away from Pilot’s knee and weaving his fingers together in his lap. 

“Look, Pilot, I’m not sure how much Allura told you over the phone -”

“Absolutely nothing,” Pilot said, “but I’m in.” Shiro looked at him in surprise.

“But I didn’t even tell you what -” 

“You need my help, and I can learn on the go,” Pilot said with a shrug. Then he met Shiro’s gaze. “I trust you. If you need me, I’m there.”

“Pilot,” Shiro breathed, feeling his shoulder brush Pilot’s as he shifted to face him. He looked down, and then back up at him. Pilot had his eyes on him the whole time, and although Shiro couldn’t see through those goggles, he knew his gaze was earnest. He could feel it. “Thank you. This - it means a lot to me.” Pilot smiled. For a moment Shiro thought that Pilot was reaching out his hand to hold Shiro’s, but then he pulled back, that smile still on his face.

“Of course, Paladin. I - you’ve become an important person in my life.” Shiro felt his heart skip a beat. He had decided back at the hospital that he was done looking back on the past, and he’d begun to look forward, but -

He didn’t expect to find his whole future in front of him. The future he wanted so _badly_ it created an ache in his chest. A steady, scary, _lovely_ ache. He didn’t expect to find Pilot, his fingertips only inches away from his own.

“You’re important to me, too, Pilot. It scares me, how important you are.” Shiro thought back to his moments looking at the stars, at the Moon, and he was struck with this odd feeling.

Shiro knew that, no matter what reality, what universe, the two of them were always meant to find each other, to know each other, Shiro dared to hope maybe even love each other. And maybe it wouldn’t be easy, maybe there would be miscommunications or losses or battles - but they would still meet, time and time again, as if gravity was lovingly pushing them from opposite corners of existence until their fingertips finally touched. 

Pilot cleared his throat nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked around. 

“So where _is_ Blade? I’m surprised that he hasn’t shown up yet.” Shiro clenched his jaw, brought back to reality, and then the two of them saw a pair of headlights in the distance. “Oh, I guess I spoke too soon.” They watched as the car headed towards them, slowing down. Shiro pushed himself off of the Black Lion, straightening his stance.

“Blade isn’t coming,” Shiro said, and Pilot stood up to join him, looking at him in confusion and then at the car as it stopped in the road, the car door opening. It was hard to make out what car it was in the darkness.

“Then who is -?” Pilot began, but his words stopped short when he saw who was walking towards them.

“I had a feeling that you would see sense, Paladin,” the tall figure said, pulling his gloves farther up his wrists in a sophisticated gesture. His helmet caught the moonlight as he came to stop in front of them. If Shiro could see his face he knew that he’d find a predatory smile there. He felt his muscles tense. He didn’t have a good feeling about this, but he had no other choice. 

“The Emperor?” Pilot asked, glancing at Shiro, but Shiro didn’t take his eyes off of the figure. 

“It’s good to know that my title has stuck,” the Emperor said, placing his hands on both sides of his helmet. He took it off and Shiro watched as long strands of white hair cascaded around his shoulders. He tucked his helmet under his arm. Shiro had been right - that predatory smile was there. “But you can call me Lotor.”


	11. Final Lap (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh. my. goodness.
> 
> this has all been in my head for so long that it feels so WEIRD and SCARY to be sharing it with you all lol. i've read through this chapter so many times to make sure that it was exactly how i wanted it and that things made sense, since this is my first time writing something with so many plot twists lol.
> 
> i really hope that you guys like this. it's over 15k so find your coziest blanket and don't feel like you have to read all of it in one go. also, there WILL be another chapter after this - a fun fluffy one to wrap things up - so stay tuned for that as well.
> 
> seriously guys, bless you for reading this story it's been so much fun and i'm sad that it's almost over :')

Shiro couldn’t decide what was worse - planning on sneaking back into the research labs with someone he knew he shouldn’t trust and the disguised racer that he was in love with, or having to sit in his office thinking about all of the ways in which it could go wrong as the seconds slowly ticked by. He tapped his fingers against his desk, aimlessly scrolling through emails but being too distracted to read them. He just needed to get through these last ten minutes, and then he could head home. He lifted his mug to his lips, and then realized that his coffee had been cold for a while and set it back down. He let out a sigh, leaning back in his chair and looking at the clock. Only a minute had passed. He groaned and did a lazy spin in his chair. 

This. This was worse. The waiting. Patience yields focus, and right now he had neither of those things. 

Then he heard a soft knock at the door. He stopped mid-spin and saw Adam standing in the doorway, an amused smile on his lips as he adjusted his glasses.

“You seem busy, I can come later -” Adam began, a teasing glint in his eyes as he moved to leave. Shiro leaned forward in his chair, putting both of his hands on his desk.

“Please don’t leave me, I’m so bored,” Shiro said, hearing the slight whine in his own voice. Adam laughed and moved to sit in the chair across from Shiro’s desk, setting down a short stack of papers. Shiro eyed them curiously. 

“I promise it isn’t boring, but you might not like it,” Adam explained, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Shiro raised a brow, moving the papers closer to himself and scanning through the paragraphs of text. He noticed “Garrison College” first, and then -

“A 1-3 program?” Shiro asked. “I’m not sure if I’ve heard of this before.” Adam got out of his seat, moving to stand behind Shiro. Adam peered over his shoulder, pointing out a sentence at the bottom of the page. 

“Students who apply and are accepted into this program will attend Garrison College for one year, taking core classes and other requirements,” Adam began to read, “and then they will pursue the specialized major of their choosing at Altea Tech for the remaining three years of their undergraduate experience.” Shiro read through that sentence again, flipping to the next page to read more. 

“And Altea Tech will pay for their three years?” Shiro asked, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. He could practically feel Adam vibrating with energy next to him as he fixed his glasses.

“Yes, you only have to pay for one year at the Garrison, and you and I both know one year of tuition would be affordable.” 

“Adam, this is -” Shiro began, still in disbelief. “Where did you find this?” 

“I mentioned to Allura that I’ve been researching scholarship programs, and she found this for me,” Adam explained. 

“But I don’t remember this when we were applying,” Shiro said, knitting his brows together as he continued to flip through the pages.

“This is the first year that they’re doing it, actually,” Adam said. “I have my suspicions that Allura played a part in making this possible, but she refuses to admit it.” Shiro scoffed.

“That sounds like her, always working behind the scenes.”

“She’s a power to be reckoned with,” Adam agreed, a fond smile on his lips. Something about that made Shiro’s stomach twist, let doubt creep in. He cleared his throat, looking back at the papers.

“So how many people do they accept?” Shiro asked. He sensed the mood change, and glanced over his shoulder to see Adam’s frown.

“Only three,” Adam said, and Shiro frowned as well.

“Adam -”

“I know, Shiro. It’s a long shot, but you _know_ these kids. They’re smart and hard working. I’m certain that they can -”

“Adam,” Shiro said, a small smile on his lips as he turned in his chair to face him. “I’m not disagreeing with you. I think that this is a great idea.” Adam blinked at him, bewilderment in his expression.

“You do?” Shiro crossed his arms, raising a brow.

“Why do you sound so surprised?” Adam gave him a look and Shiro rolled his eyes, turning back to face his desk. He grabbed the stack of papers, lifting them and straightening them out with a few short taps. “Someone told me once that kids can tell when they’re being underestimated, and that they hate that stuff. I guess I’ve decided to give them more credit. I’ve decided to have a little faith that things can work out for the better.” 

Believing that things can be better. Shiro hadn’t realized how much he needed that until recently. He always saw what could go wrong. He saw his failures stretched out behind him, and potential failures waiting ahead of him, and it was scary. It had left him stuck for so long, crushed under the weight of - of _something_. That is, until Adam planted that first seed, a seed that Shiro was starting to think was hope. 

“That ‘someone’ sounds pretty wise,” Adam said, back to looking over Shiro’s shoulder at the stack of papers in front of them. Shiro didn’t have to look to see the small smile on Adam’s lips, but he found himself turning in his chair anyway.

“Yeah I guess he’s -” Shiro began mid-turn, and then he looked up to see Adam’s now widening eyes only inches from his own. That small smile quickly dropped, lips parted like they were about to form a question. Shiro drank in his gaze - seeing the way the brown of his irises blended with the pale green. Beautiful. “He’s -” Shiro tried again, but then he stopped, distracted by the proximity. He found himself unable to move as he continued to look at the hazel irises in front of him. Some force seemed to be holding him still, pulling him in. “Back at the football field,” Shiro found himself asking suddenly, and he felt his cheeks heat up as he thought about a different night - _last_ night, about watching the moon with Adam as they shared his blanket, feeling like they were the only two left in the universe. “You know, when you told me that you didn’t like Allura - _that_ way,” Shiro pressed on. Adam just continued to look at him with those beautiful eyes. Shiro noticed that Adam hadn’t pulled away, that they continued to share these few inches of space between them. “You were going to say something else, and the door isn’t locked but we _are_ alone. This might be as good as any locked room you were waiting for.” Shiro could feel his throat becoming dry as he tried to sound as casual as possible, Adam’s gaze becoming too intense. But he didn’t look away. For some reason he couldn’t. 

He loved Pilot, he already knew that, and yet what Adam was going to say that night still mattered. It could still change things.

“Oh,” Adam finally said, like he was remembering that he had vocal cords. He licked his lips, and Shiro ignored the way that it made his fingers twitch. Adam placed his hands on the arms of Shiro’s chair, leaning down slightly, and Shiro’s breath caught. Adam looked away, a bashful expression on his face. “I was going to tell you who I like,” Adam said.

“And I asked if I knew them,” Shiro remembered. Adam let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head slightly. 

“Yeah, you did.” Adam cleared his throat. “The person I like -” Shiro resisted the urge to lean forward in his seat, anticipation making his skin buzz. It felt like the whole sky was in his lungs, ready to burst. He loved Pilot, he did. He had made up his mind - he’d even told Adam - or, at least, the Paladin did - but this answer still mattered. It mattered more than anything. “The person I think I _love_ -” Adam continued, seeming to choke on that word. Then his eyes widened slightly, almost as if he remembered something. There was conflict in his eyes, confusion, maybe even a realization. He straightened up, shaking his head slightly.

“Is everything okay?” Shiro asked, looking up at him.

“ _No_ , I mean, yes, it’s just,” Adam tried to explain, looking surprised at himself. He adjusted his glasses. “I - I don’t think I _know_ ,” Adam finally answered. “I thought I did, but then he - _he_ \- and I didn’t - oh but I _did_ ,” Adam continued, beginning to pace around the room. Then he stopped, looking guiltily at Shiro, his expression still slightly bewildered. “I’m sorry.” Shiro moved to stand, furrowing his brow in confusion.

I don’t know what you’re apologizing for,” Shiro confessed. Adam looked at the ground, brown hair falling in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry that I don’t know what to do,” Adam confessed. Shiro laughed, walking up to Adam to put a hand on his shoulder. Adam looked up at him in surprise. 

“It seems like I’ve rubbed off on you as much as you have on me,” Shiro observed, the corner of his lips quirking up in amusement. Adam continued to look at him in surprise, and then he gave him a tired smile.

“How do you live like this?” Adam asked. Shiro gave Adam’s shoulder a squeeze.

“I go one step at a time,” Shiro offered. “Life doesn’t always have to be a sprint, even though Keith keeps trying to convince me otherwise.” He rolled his eyes as he said that last part and Adam laughed, shaking his head. 

“Lance is like that, too.” Adam bit his lip. “I’m sorry that I can’t give you a better answer.” Shiro smiled.

“You gave me the truth - I don’t think that there’s a better answer than that.” Adam placed a hand on Shiro’s hand, the one on Adam’s shoulder. Then they both heard the bell ring.

“Looks like the day’s over already,” Adam said, taking a step away and towards the door, his hand sliding off of Shiro’s in the process, Shiro’s arm falling to his side. “I should head back to my classroom.”

Shiro gave him a short nod. “Thanks for stopping by. I think I would’ve driven myself crazy watching that clock.” Adam laughed behind his hand, and then his expression became more determined.

“You’ll think about the program?” Shiro nodded his head again.

“Of course. There are still a few details that we’re going to need to iron out together.” Adam gave him an appreciative smile.

“I’ll see you later, Shiro.”

“Bye, Adam.” He watched Adam go, and soon he was alone, standing in the middle of his office. 

 _Adam didn’t know._ Shiro ran a hand through his hair. This was hard - his feelings felt so clear to him now, and yet he couldn’t seem to figure out Adam, to figure out Pilot. Maybe it was time for the truth.

No. Shiro moved over to his desk, opening his bag and starting to put things inside. There were things that he needed to take care of first. 

In that moment he wondered how many times he’d given himself that excuse. _Soon. Eventually. After this_ . Those words would cycle through his head over and over, until he was on one knee, the world on his shoulders. And he never got to do what _he_ wanted. He’d almost forgotten what it was like to want something. To want something for himself. He zipped up his bag, giving Dora a quick goodbye as he headed down the hall. 

This time he meant it. Once this was over, he would tell Adam everything. Or maybe he would tell Pilot everything. He would look after his heart, for once. Then he felt someone bump his shoulder, and he looked down to see Keith matching his pace, his backpack slung over one shoulder and a determined look on his face.

“I’m going to Lance’s,” Keith said, his tone guarded. Shiro nodded his head, frowning slightly.

“You know, we never really talked about you and Lance -”

“We never really talked about the file you found in the records room either,” Keith shot back, and Shiro’s eyes widened. He swallowed, frowning at the floor as he continued down the hall, and Keith seemed to notice the change in his expression. 

“I didn’t mean to -” Keith began, reaching for Shiro’s shoulder before stopping and pulling his hand back. He looked away. “There’s nothing to say about me and Lance. I can’t get distracted now, not when there’s so much at stake. It’s a later problem.” Shiro felt a tired smile tug at his lips. 

“You’re starting to sound like me.” Keith scrunched up his nose.

“Gross.” Shiro laughed, bumping Keith’s shoulder. Then his smile fell as they left the building and entered the parking lot. Keith managed to find his shoulder this time, stopping him. He quickly dropped his hand, refusing to meet Shiro’s eyes as he adjusted the strap on his shoulder, kicking a small rock away with his shoe. “Maybe we could talk about it? Lance, the file -” Keith’s brows pinched together, “a _lot_ of things, once we save my mom.” Shiro’s gaze softened.

“Of course, Keith. I bet I can score a whole basket of egg tarts from Mrs. Han, too.” Keith met his gaze, something flashing in his eyes. It wasn’t his usual fire, but rather, a certain warmth. 

“Thank you, Shiro. For helping me, for trusting me, for -” Keith paused, pinching his brows together once more. “For being the one person who never left me.” Something constricted in Shiro’s chest, and he tapped a fist lightly against Keith’s shoulder.

“Hey, it’s you and me no matter what, okay? We’re in this together.” Keith nodded his head slightly, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Then Shiro heard a car horn and they both looked up to see a baby blue Plymouth parked not too far away, Lance leaning out of the driver’s side window.

“Come on Keith! Pidge is getting impatient, and she starts taking apart my car when she gets impatient!” They watched as the back window rolled down.

“She’s dismantling the cup holders as we speak!” Hunk reported. Lance made a noise of protest, going back into the car. Shiro and Keith started to hear the sound of arguing. Then they saw Hunk’s grimace. 

“Get your hands off my baby!” Lance yelled, and Shiro swore he heard a hiss. Keith chuckled, shaking his head. Shiro saw the fondness in his gaze, and then Keith caught him watching him. He cleared his throat, shifting his stance. 

“I guess that’s my cue to go,” Keith said. “I’ll see you later.”

“I want to let the record show that if Lance tries to pick you up at our apartment by honking his horn from the driveway, I’m not letting you go,” Shiro said. “I refuse to accept that chivalry is dead.” Keith scoffed.

“Okay, old man,” he replied, rolling his eyes. Then his expression became serious. “I’ll see you later, Shiro.” Shiro smiled, putting a hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“You already said that.” Keith pouted, crossing his arms and hunching his shoulders slightly. 

“I know, but -” he met Shiro’s gaze. “I _mean_ it.” 

“I know, now get in the car before Pidge takes it apart.” Shiro saw the ghost of a smile on Keith’s lips, and he watched as Keith hurried over to Lance’s car, opening the passenger’s side door and slipping inside. 

“He’s in good hands, Shiro!” Lance called, waving at Shiro from across the parking lot. Shiro resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he waved back. 

“Hunk, don’t let the three of them get into any trouble!” Shiro called, and he could hear Pidge’s cackle from the car, along with Keith and Lance’s noises of protest.

“I won’t!” Hunk called as he leaned out his window, a wide grin on his face. With that Shiro watched as Lance pulled out of the driveway, the Plymouth quickly turning onto the main road and disappearing from behind the trees. Shiro’s smile fell, and he looked down at the bag he was holding, his gaze tracing up his prosthetic arm. He took a breath, and then he headed to his own car, unlocking it and putting his bag in the back.

“Mr. Shirogane,” a voice said once he opened the driver’s side door to his Subaru. Shiro glanced over his shoulder to see Mr. Iverson next to his own car, briefcase in hand and the usual stern expression on his face. Shiro turned to face him, trying not to let his surprise show. They worked together, but they weren’t all that close. If anything Shiro thought that Iverson didn’t like him very much, especially after he decided to foster Keith.

“Hello Mr. Iverson, how’ve you been?” Iverson narrowed his gaze, and Shiro tried not to stare at the black eyepatch covering one of his eyes. There were rumors about how he lost that eye - some more gruesome than others. Adam’s theory was that Iverson was a secret agent and got it fighting aliens. With how little everyone knew about the math teacher, Shiro wouldn’t be surprised. 

“Keith seemed distracted in class today,” Iverson said. “The past week or two, actually.” His expression was hard to read. “I hope that there hasn’t been anything distracting him from his studies.” Shiro let out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Nothing except the usual teenage angst, I guess. You know how it is.” Iverson’s expression didn’t change, and Shiro swallowed nervously. He wondered if Iverson had ever even _been_ a teenager, or if he popped into existence like this. It was definitely a theory he’d have to share with Adam. After a moment that felt like an eternity, Iverson finally nodded his head.

“Make sure he doesn’t get into trouble, Mr. Shirogane. And make sure that you don’t get into any trouble yourself.” Shiro laughed awkwardly again.

“What makes you think that I would get into any trouble? I’m a guidance counselor.” Iverson seemed to analyze his posture, and Shiro shifted his stance, finding it hard to meet his gaze. 

“Anyone can get into trouble, even guidance counselors,” Iverson reasoned. “Even math teachers.” With that he opened the door to his black Jeep and got inside, setting his briefcase down in the passenger’s seat. “Have a nice night, Mr. Shirogane.” Shiro watched, dumbstruck, as Iverson pulled out of the parking lot and drove away. Then he shook his head, running a hand through his hair. What a weird day. But he’d have to analyze all of that another time. 

Now he had to go home and prepare.

 

 

Shiro saw headlights from the window and he quickly pulled on his bomber jacket, grabbing his helmet from the couch. Kosmo whined, nuzzling against his leg. 

“It’s okay, buddy,” Shiro said, running a soothing hand through Kosmo’s fur. Kosmo thumped his tail against the floor, but Shiro could tell that his heart wasn’t in it. Keith hadn’t come back yet, and Kosmo never liked being left alone in the house. Dr. Han had already promised to check in on Kosmo. Thankfully he didn’t ask Shiro too many questions about what he was doing tonight, although Shiro had an idea of what Dr. Han would guess. 

Shiro heard his phone buzz and he walked over to the kitchen counter, reading the note he’d written one last time. He hoped that it was in an obvious enough spot for Keith to find. Shiro’s phone buzzed again and he rolled his eyes, grabbing it off of the counter and putting it in his pocket as he opened the door to his apartment and made his way to the garage. It wasn’t hard to spot the dark gray Tesla parked between two spots, its purple rims glowing in the semi-darkness.

Shiro took a deep breath, putting his helmet on his head as he approached the car. He hated to admit it, but it was beautiful. He would always have a soft spot for the classics, however. He thought about the Chevy, about Pilot’s old green flight jacket, about his timeless smile. His heart skipped a beat, but he didn’t let it show as he opened the passenger’s side door and slid inside. The interior was white and looked brand new. Shiro let out a low whistle.

“How did you even afford this?” Shiro asked, turning to look at Lotor. Lotor adjusted his grip on the wheel, looking over his shoulder as he reversed out of the small garage. His long white hair was tied back into a ponytail. Shiro noticed his helmet resting on the back seat. Then he noticed the dry smile on Lotor’s lips.

“It was a gift from the witch. My parents always had an interest in cars.” Shiro saw the way Lotor’s eyes flashed as he sped down the dark road. It was late. The sun had set a long time ago, and now they were meeting Pilot at Galra U. 

“I must say, I am not surprised that you decided to ask for my assistence, it being the obvious choice,” Lotor began, and Shiro ignored the way Lotor’s confidence made his blood boil. “However, I am surprised that you didn’t say a word of this to Keith. Part of me still doubts that he has no idea what you’re doing tonight.” Shiro frowned, looking out of the window.

“If he knew, don’t you think he would’ve done something to stop me? Or tried to stop you?” Lotor let out a breath of a laugh.

“I suppose your logic is true. Then explain this to me as well, _Paladin_ ,” Lotor said, baring his teeth in a smile. “Why are we involving the former champion in this break in? What does he have to do with this?” Shiro pulled on the sleeves of his jacket.

“We haven’t been the only people hurt by this, Lotor,” Shiro said, his expression grim. Lotor’s fingers twitched as he adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. Shiro watched the blurred lights of the street lamps as they sped down the empty highway. 

“I know,” Lotor said quietly, eyes on the road. 

“Back in that lecture hall,” Shiro began, unsure of how to best approach this. “You said that the reason that your - that the _witch_ ,” he corrected, “made you do all this was to make sure that Allura wasn’t planning some kind of revenge because of what happened to her father.” Lotor narrowed his eyes, saying nothing. Shiro decided to press on. “Allura doesn’t tell many people about the details of her father’s death. Usually she says that it was an unfortunate accident, but I know the truth.” Shiro paused, taking a breath. “Your father is Zarkon, isn’t he?” The car was quiet for a few long moments. There wasn’t even the steady hum of an engine to keep Shiro comfort, since the Tesla was battery-powered. 

“Yes,” Lotor finally confessed. He glanced at Shiro before looking back at the road. “Does this change your mind about working with me?” Shiro furrowed his brow.

“If I’m being honest, I’m surprised that _you’re_ willing to work with _me_.” Lotor raised a brow.

“What, because you beat him in a race?” Lotor let out a bitter laugh. “I think he needed to know what it was like to lose. Besides, you weren’t the one who put him in jail. That was someone else’s fault.” His gaze narrowed once more, and Shiro shifted in his seat. 

“Allura’s father,” Shiro said quietly. Lotor said nothing. Shiro shook his head. “He didn’t deserve that. He was a good man. Allura was heartbroken when she heard the news.” Shiro frowned, remembering going to _Alfor’s_ that day to find a new part for the Black Lion and finding Allura collapsed on the ground, crying. They held on to each other for what felt like hours, sharing in their personal grief over the things they’d lost. The _people_ they’d lost too soon than was fair.

“You’re telling me these things as if I don’t already know them,” Lotor said, a note of impatience in his voice. He took a breath. “I am not my father. I should not have to bear the weight of his mistakes.” Shiro furrowed his brow, looking at his hands. 

“I don’t think that you can help but be affected by them, though,” Shiro said quietly. Lotor looked like he just ate something sour. 

“Perhaps you’re right,” Lotor reasoned. Then he bared his teeth in a smile, seeming to remember something. “We’re almost there. Your pilot should be there already, correct?” Shiro checked the time and nodded his head.

“He should be there to meet at the spot you pointed out on the map,” Shiro confirmed. Lotor continued to smile, and Shiro shot him a wary look. “What is it?”

“I know who he is,” Lotor said, “under the mask. I found out while I was looking through the database.” Shiro’s heart started to beat faster, but he tried to keep his expression neutral. He was working with Lotor, but that didn’t mean he trusted him. He couldn’t let Lotor know that he was affected by this. “I must say that I was quite surprised to find out who he is in his day-to-day life - very different from the street racing persona that he displays.” Shiro swallowed, fidgeting with his hands in his lap.

“Why are you telling me this?” Shiro decided to ask. The predatory smile was still on Lotor’s face.

“I’ve seen the way you two look at each other,” Lotor said. “Consider this me trying to help out a friend.” Shiro scoffed.

“We’re not friends, and I doubt that you have my best interests at heart.” Something in Lotor’s eyes flashed.

“Maybe not, but aren’t you still _dying_ to know?” Shiro clenched his jaw, looking at the road ahead of him. He thought of Pilot’s smile again, the way brown locks of hair stuck out from random places under his aviator hat. He thought about last night, when Pilot’s fingertips were only inches away from his own. 

“You think you know how people work - how _I_ work, don’t you?” Shiro asked, and Lotor let out a short laugh, not disagreeing. “You always need to have control of a situation, because you know what it’s like to not have control.” Lotor’s smile fell after Shiro said that last part. Then he made a noise of disgust.

“I forget that you’re a guidance counselor,” Lotor said, rolling his eyes. “Forget it, then. We’re here, anyway.” Shiro looked out of the windshield to see one of the side entrances into Galra U. The campus was dark and quiet. Lotor drove down the tree-lined road and Shiro spotted a dark orange car in the distance.

“Over there,” Shiro said, pointing in that direction. Lotor turned on the road and parked next to the Chevy. Shiro spotted Pilot sitting in the driver’s seat, and they locked eyes. He watched as a smile spread across Pilot’s lips as he gave Shiro a small wave, and Shiro’s heart skipped a beat. He waved back, trying to fight off the blush that he could feel heating up his face.

“Are you sure that you don’t want to know?” Lotor asked. Shiro broke eye contact with Pilot, looking down and furrowing his brow. 

“How are you so sure that I don’t already know?” Shiro asked. Lotor laughed, reaching over to grab his helmet and putting it on his head.

“If you knew, you wouldn’t have let him come. You wouldn’t have taken the risk,” Lotor said, that smile back on his face, the kind that didn’t reach the eyes, and with that he opened the car door, stepping into the night air. Shiro clenched his jaw, and then he opened his door as well, feeling the evening breeze on his face. He took a deep breath. 

“For a minute there I thought you wouldn’t show up,” Pilot said, crossing his arms as he leaned against his car. He was wearing his flight jacket over a black t-shirt, a teasing grin on his face. “I thought I was being punk'd.” Shiro let out a quiet laugh, and then his expression became serious. Pilot’s smile fell, and he pushed off of his car, walking towards him. “Hey -”

“We should get moving,” Lotor said, standing in between them. “We have a very specific window of time.” Pilot dropped the hand that he was reaching out, adjusting his goggles and nodding his head. 

“Right, of course.” Pilot found Shiro’s eyes again, giving him a small smile. “Ready, Paladin?” Shiro clenched his jaw, looking at the building that loomed not too far from where they were parked. 

“Ready.”

 

 

Lotor had explained the night before that they wouldn’t be entering the research labs the same way Shiro and Keith had previously. Apparently that section of the building only held things like records, some samples of the drug, and security items. The real stuff, the _important_ stuff, they kept deeper inside the facility. And Lotor was one of the few people who had access. 

“I told you that you wouldn’t be able to do this without me,” Lotor said, sliding his key through a slot in the door. Shiro heard it unlock and watched as Lotor opened it, slipping into the next room. Pilot went through next, finding Shiro’s eyes through his visor before he entered the room. Shiro stole a glance behind him to see if they were being followed, but the hallway was empty. The entire facility was emptier than he would’ve expected. He reached into his pocket, pulling something out and letting it fall to the ground. Then he kept moving, never falling too far behind. There were a few more locked doors ahead of them. Shiro was getting an idea of what Lotor had meant when he called his mother “paranoid”. Finally they arrived at a set of double doors, the square windows darkened so Shiro couldn’t get a sense of what was inside. Lotor put his hand on the door and stopped, looking over his shoulder at the two of them. “This is the experimental wing of the labs,” Lotor explained. “It’s where the witch keeps her most prized assets - her newest drugs, the base formula, important technology -” Lotor paused, his expression difficult to read. “Marmora.” Shiro heard Pilot make a noise of disbelief. 

“She’s really in there?” Pilot whispered. “I mean, I know you mentioned it in the plan, but to think that she’s been kept here for so many years -” Lotor’s eyes narrowed and he looked ahead, his hand still on the door.

“The witch put her in a medically induced coma. Sometimes she revives her to try out a new version of her drug, but -” Shiro watched as Lotor’s shoulders tensed. “She’s more of a trophy, if anything. One that the witch is growing tired of keeping around.” With that he pushed the door open, moving into the darkened room. Shiro moved to follow, but then Pilot put a gentle hand on his chest, stopping him.

“Paladin,” Pilot said, looking in the direction of where Lotor had disappeared into the semidarkness. “Should we really be trusting him?” Shiro met his gaze, fighting off a wave of guilt.

“You trust _me_ , right?” Shiro finally asked. Pilot looked at him for a long moment, and then he nodded his head, certainty in his gaze. Shiro gave him a small smile, and then it fell as he looked away. “No, we shouldn’t trust Lotor, but it’s a risk we need to take.” With that Shiro moved towards the door, but then Pilot gently dragged his fingertips a little farther down Shiro’s chest, stopping him again.

“Also,” Pilot continued, looking at the floor. “I wanted to thank you for letting me be a part of this, for letting me feel _useful_ in some way. My brother - he was the best of us, the best of my family. Losing him was like losing a piece of myself.” Pilot took a breath, finding Shiro’s gaze. “Thank you for letting me get some of myself back by honoring him.” He let out a tired laugh, shaking his head. “If he knew that I was acting like some kind of secret agent, after all of the times I teased him - he’d never let me hear the end of it.” Shiro found himself reaching up his hand, his fingertips lightly resting on Pilot’s cheek. He could feel Pilot’s cheek get warmer from under them, and that left Shiro feeling a little more breathless than he did a moment before. There was so much that Shiro wanted to tell him, wanted to say. ‘I love you,’ came to mind. It was on the tip of Shiro’s tongue. Saying it seemed so natural, like saying ‘good morning’. Or ‘goodbye’.

“Keep up,” Lotor whispered impatiently from deeper inside the room. Shiro blinked, and then he dropped his hand, curling his fingers into a fist.

“He’s proud of you, Pilot, I know that he is,” Shiro said, his voice barely above a whisper. Pilot swallowed, nodding and pulling his hat farther down his forehead. With that he pulled his hand away from Shiro’s chest, but it still looked like he had something to say.

“Paladin, I’ve been thinking about this a lot, lately - it’s really been the only thing on my mind,” Pilot said with a breathless laugh. Then his expression became more serious. “I think you should know that I - I’m beginning to - I think I’m -”

“You _will_ be spotted if you two keep standing in that doorway,” Lotor hissed, and Pilot winced, dropping his hand to his side and turning towards the door. 

“I think we should go,” Pilot said instead, walking through the double doors and into the room. Shiro watched him go, dropping something to the floor as he tried to control the unsteady beating of his heart, and then he pressed on into the darkness. A moment later some of the lights turned on, enough to make the room a little more visible, and he found Lotor standing next to the switch, a smug grin on his face.

“This is it,” Lotor said, and Shiro furrowed his brow, looking around the room. 

“I don’t see her,” Shiro said. The room was sterile and bare, only a few empty gurneys were pushed off to the sides, resting against the high walls. There were machines in the corners of the room with many flashing purple lights. There was the steady hum of machinery. Then he watched as Lotor tapped a plaque hanging next to the door that he was standing next to, on the other side of the room. Shiro was too far away to make out the words.

“She’s kept in this room. The door is constantly guarded, but I managed to pull a few strings with the security here,” Lotor said, his eyes flashing with triumph. “There shouldn’t be any trouble from them.”

“Great, then how about we go inside,” Pilot said, walking over to the door and grabbing the handle. Shiro watched from the other side of the room as Lotor put a hand on his chest, stopping him. Pilot shot him a confused look.

“That isn’t the next part of the plan,” Lotor said, and Shiro tensed. Something wasn’t right.

“This is what we talked about,” Pilot said, giving Lotor a confused look. “Wake up Marmora, take one of the gurneys, get her out of here the same way we came, and then call the police.” He listed off the parts of the plan on his fingertips, Lotor’s smile growing as he did so.

“That was the next part of _that_ plan,” Lotor agreed, looking somewhere behind Shiro before finding his eyes. “I’m referring to a different plan.” Shiro’s eyes widened slightly.

“Pilot, get back -” Shiro began, taking a step in their direction. Pilot turned to look at him, and his lips parted in shock as he seemed to notice something behind Shiro. A second later Shiro felt something pinch his neck, and he turned to see a woman standing behind him, grasping his arm firmly, Lotor’s predatory smile on her face. In her other hand she was holding a now-empty syringe, a drop of purple fluid on the tip of the needle. Shiro looked at her in surprise, holding his neck, and then the world began to turn sideways.

“Paladin!” Pilot yelled, moving towards him, but Lotor grabbed a hold of his arms, dragging him to the ground and pinning him in place. Pilot struggled against him, but it was no use. 

“You lied to me,” Shiro said, struggling to find Lotor in the buzz around him. He could feel his heart beating faster, his hands starting to shake. 

“Did you really think that he would betray his own mother?” the woman behind him asked. Shiro turned to see her standing over him, a pleased smile on her lips. She was tall, with long white hair just like Lotor’s. She was wearing a dark gray lab coat that reached her ankles. Her eyes were golden and cat-like, and there were deep lines on her face, under her eyes. “It’s nice to have you back at Galra U, _Paladin_.” 

“Get away from him!” Pilot yelled, muscles straining against Lotor’s grip. The witch ignored him, never looking away from Shiro.

“Lotor must’ve given you quite the story,” she continued, amusement and malice in her smile. “He must’ve told you how he wanted to _change_ , how he wanted to make things _right_ , how he wanted to save poor Marmora.” The witch laughed. “Little did you know the resentment that he has for her. _She_ was the one who ruined our lives, who broke our family apart.” Shiro looked at Lotor in confusion, trying to fight off the effects of the drug. Lotor’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the ground. The witch laughed. “When she was working here, she started disapproving of my - _methods_ ,” the witch began to explain. “She decided to leave, but not without poking around in places she shouldn’t have been first.” Shiro noticed the way her eye twitched in anger. “Then she started going to Altea Drive, trying to find more information about my research from our students who would go there, and she became the new champion.” She barked out a laugh. “She found love, and then had a child, and I thought I’d been rid of her for good. But apparently a professor at our school, Dr. Thace, had been keeping tabs on us in her absence. He noticed a trend of - _accidents_ \- on campus, and of course she had to come back to investigate.” The witch smiled, but there was nothing happy about it. “She was on her way to my labs when she found a child crying on a bench.” Shiro furrowed his brow, beginning to piece it together. 

“She comforted him, during a time that _you_ weren’t there,” Shiro said. The witch didn’t react, but Shiro noticed something resembling guilt flash across Lotor’s eyes. 

“Perhaps. But then Lotor, in a moment of _weakness_ , decided to tell her a secret that he shouldn’t have.” The witch adjusted her grip on the syringe, and Shiro could see anger flash in her eyes. “His father was angry after losing his title as the champion, a night I’m sure that _you_ remember well. Lotor was afraid of that rage, and he decided to tell Marmora who his father was. What he had done.”

“She promised that she wouldn’t tell,” Lotor said quietly, anger in his eyes as well. The witch nodded her head.

“And Lotor learned not to believe in empty promises, because the police came to arrest his father a few days later, and now he will never see him again, other than behind bars.” The witch paused. “Thankfully I managed to destroy all of the evidence that connected me to his crimes, and I was allowed to continue running this institution. However, it put my research years back, and I had to sever my life - my _identity_ \- from my husband’s, from the love of my life.” Shiro watched as her jaw clenched, her eyes wild. “You cannot pretend to know what that is like, to lose someone that close to your heart.”

“I do know,” Shiro said, a grim expression on his face as he thought about his father, his mother. The witch gripped the syringe tighter until it broke in her hand, shards of glass falling to the floor. She didn’t flinch.

“You _don’t_ ,” she said through gritted teeth. Then she took a breath, smiling once more. Shiro tried to focus on her, but it was getting harder. He stumbled, falling to one knee. 

“Stop this!” Pilot yelled, desperation in his voice. “What do you even want with us? Why did you bring us here?” The witch finally looked at him in disgust. 

“I have no use for you,” the witch spat. “You weren’t supposed to be here. Another _failure_ on my son’s part.” She looked at Shiro once more, and Shiro looked up at her in anger. “I just wanted my champion back. My finest test subject.”

“You can’t control me anymore,” Shiro said through gritted teeth. “I’m not afraid of you.” The witch’s eyes flashed, her lips turned up into a cruel smile.

“Who says that I ever lost control of you, _Shiro_?” the witch asked, and Shiro’s eyes widened. Things continued to blur, and he moved to hold the sides of his helmet. It felt like his thoughts were melting with the room, spinning around him. It was hard to focus on anything, to hold on to a thought. This wasn’t like the other time, the night of the crash. This was different. Panic clawed up Shiro’s throat. This was _new_.

“Wait, what did you just say?” Pilot asked, his voice sounding as breakable as that glass syringe. The next moment Shiro felt a hand on top of his helmet, and soon it was lifted off of his head and thrown aside, the sound of it clattering across the floor amplifying in Shiro’s mind, scattering his thoughts further. Why did Pilot ask that? Why was his helmet off? Why was he wearing it anyway? Where was Keith? Then he was able to grab hold of a sliver of realization, and his stomach filled with liquid dread.

“Takashi Shirogane,” the witch said. “Former student, former champion, and my eternal test subject.” Shiro managed to turn, finding Pilot’s gaze from across the room. Pilot’s face was drained of color as he sat there, his arms pinned behind his back by Lotor. Shiro watched as he shook his head in disbelief. 

“No _,_ ” Pilot said, his voice hoarse and broken. “ _No_ , you’re lying to me!” he yelled at the witch, looking at Shiro in horror, like his heart had just broken in two. Shiro watched as Pilot’s face contorted into many different expressions, too fast to decipher as Pilot looked at the floor in disbelief. Then Shiro watched as Pilot mouth three words to himself, his lips parted in shock and his body still. It felt like the whole room had frozen in that moment.

‘He loves me.’ 

Pilot’s gaze snapped up to meet Shiro’s, and Shiro could barely make out wide eyes through the darkened goggles. Then Pilot began to fight against Lotor’s hold, using a strength he didn’t have before. Lotor managed to push him back onto his knees, twisting his arm enough to make Pilot wince. 

“Pilot,” Shiro said, his own voice sounding weak in his ears. He tried to reach out to him, but he was finding it hard to move, hard to think. He thought he saw tears rolling down Pilot’s cheeks.

“Shiro -” Pilot said, his voice breaking as he spoke. Shiro felt the room spin once more, and he placed him palms on the ground, trying to steady himself. He heard sounds of Pilot trying to struggle out of Lotor’s grip once more. “Get away from him!”

“Maybe he can be my test subject too,” the witch whispered in Shiro’s ear. Then she straightened to her full height. “His brother _was_ the one who noticed the string of car crashes, who saw the similarities in the testimonies of the people who had taken my husband’s drug and the drivers who lost control. He was the one who reached out to Krolia, who managed to steal a sample of my work.” The witch paused, making a pleased hum as she saw Pilot looking at her, his jaw clenched in rage after hearing her talk about his brother. “Yes, he will do nicely.”

“Don’t you dare touch him,” Shiro said through gritted teeth, trying to hold on to this reality, but it was getting harder each second. 

“Oh, it seems like your adrenaline is spiking,” the witch said. “You don’t want that to happen.”

“What will happen if -?” In that moment the doors burst open, followed by a frenzy of action. Shiro lifted his gaze to see red, green, blue, and yellow. He hung his head in relief. Then he felt another prick in his neck.

“Looks like I’ll have to speed up the process,” the witch whispered, and then she let out a noise of surprise. Shiro felt two hands on his shoulders and he flinched, looking up. 

“Shiro, I’m sorry that we’re late,” a voice said. Shiro tried to focus, and he made out a red bandana and a knife gleaming in the purple light of the machines.

“Keith?” Shiro croaked out.

“What did she do to you?” Keith asked, anger in his voice. Anger and concern.

“Meet my champion!” Shiro heard the witch say from somewhere in the room. He tried to hold his head together. 

“I can’t -” Shiro said, shaking his head. Where was he? Who was he talking to? What had he been doing? More importantly, why did he feel so angry? He clenched his fists, getting to his feet with an energy he didn’t have only moments before. Right, of course he was angry. Anger was all he knew. Anger was _everything_. He saw a flash of red in front of him, a pair of wide violet eyes, and then his world transformed and someone else was looking back. Not just someone else, but the person he despised most. 

He let out a yell as he ran towards his clone. 

“What - Shiro?” his clone grunted as he managed to grab Shiro’s fists at the last second, holding him back. He could hear the witch’s laughter echoing in his mind. 

“This is all your fault!” Shiro yelled, freeing himself from the clone’s grip and moving to attack him again. His clone had a knife, but it seemed like he was hesitant to use it. 

“What’s happening?” he heard a voice say from somewhere far away.

“What did she do to him?”

“Keith, be careful!” Shiro didn’t recognize any of the voices. He managed to grab hold of his clone, throwing him to the ground. The clone looked at him with wide eyes. Anger bubbled up inside Shiro, ready to boil over and spill into the room. 

“It’s _your_ fault that he died,” Shiro said, fighting back angry tears. “It’s your fault that she left and forgot about you!” Shiro’s clone looked at him in horror, and Shiro saw the hurt in his expression.

“Shiro -” the clone said, although it didn’t quite sound like his voice. Shiro yelled in frustration, picking up the clone and pushing him across the room, towards one of the walls. 

“Keith!” 

“Lance, stop. I’ll handle this. Just don’t let go of the witch,” the clone said, and Shiro looked at him in confusion. Then the anger spiked again. 

“Why aren’t you fighting back?” Shiro demanded to know, clenching his fists. He took a swing at his clone, but the clone managed to dodge it. The knife still flashed in his hands, but he refused to use it. “Why do you always have to _ruin_ everything you touch? I-I hate you!” The clone shook his head, eyes wide with surprise

“You don’t mean that,” the clone whispered, voice close to breaking. “Shiro, I’m _sorry_ -” Shiro grabbed the front of the clone’s shirt, lifting him up against the wall. He was surprisingly light.

“Shiro!” a different voice said from somewhere far away, one that reminded him of cheesy sweaters and moonlight. “Shiro, please, this isn’t you. You would never hurt Keith.” Shiro furrowed his brow in confusion, never taking his eyes off of his clone.

“I don’t - this isn’t Keith.” The clone’s eyes widened in surprise once more, and he quickly grabbed hold of Shiro’s hands. 

“Shiro, it’s me,” the clone said, wincing in pain. “You need to fight this. The witch, she’s -” The anger swelled up in Shiro’s chest once more, and he felt the sting of tears. He dropped the clone, watching as he slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor, looking up at him. The knife clattered to the ground, and Shiro quickly picked it up, pointing it at him. 

“Why do you always follow me?” Shiro asked through gritted teeth, his throat burning. “I can’t _live_ like this anymore.” 

“Shiro, who do you see?” the clone asked, and Shiro furrowed his brow in confusion, his grip tightening on the blade. 

“You’re me,” Shiro said. “The me before the crash, before I lost my parents, before my life was taken away from me.” He looked at the black hair, the scarless face, his two real arms. “You’re the life I’d wanted back for so long, and the one I’ve been running away from. _Why are you still haunting me?_ ” The clone’s eyes widened, and Shiro thought he saw sympathy and sadness flash across them.

“You don’t need me anymore,” the clone said gently, moving to stand. Shiro held out the knife, watching him warily. “You - you like your life now, right?” 

“Keith -” a voice said. The clone held up a hand.

“It’s okay, Lance.” The clone looked at Shiro once more. “You don’t have to be me. You’re _better_ as you are now.” The clone paused, and Shiro thought he saw the beginning of tears in the clone’s eyes. “Shiro, I owe _everything_ to you. You _saved_ me.” The clone stepped forward, reaching out for the knife. Shiro flinched, narrowing his gaze, and then he watched in surprise as his clone positioned the tip of the knife against his own chest, giving Shiro a small smile.

“Keith, stop!” a voice yelled.

“Don’t you dare let go of her, Lance,” the clone warned, never taking his eyes off of Shiro.

“You can’t stop my drug with your words, you _foolish child_ -” another voice hissed, but was quickly silenced.

“Why are you doing this?” Shiro asked, looking at his clone with a narrowed gaze. His fingers twitched against the knife. “I don’t trust you.” The clone just smiled and Shiro made a frustrated noise, pushing the clone against the wall once more, positioning the knife at the clone’s throat. “ _Why are you doing this?_ ” 

“Because you’re my brother, Shiro, and I love you,” the clone said, tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry that I’ve made your life harder, but it wasn’t all bad, right?” Shiro looked at the clone with wide eyes, searching his face. Anger still buzzed in his hands, in his chest, in his teeth. There was so much anger and pain and he didn’t know what to do with it all. It felt like it was going to explode out of him, tear him apart. 

Then he remembered stars. 

_“My parents used to take me outside to teach me about the constellations,” Shiro remembered Keith telling him one night. “Like, that one’s Cassiopeia. And that one’s Perseus. My mom told me that I reminded her of Perseus. He was the one who turned Atlas into stone with the head of Medusa.” Shiro remembered laughing. He remembered the smirk Keith gave him when Shiro said -_

_“That sounds like something you would do.”_

Shiro was so tired. But most of all, he was tired of being angry. He was tired of being angry at himself. He took a deep breath, his grip loosening on the knife, and the world began to change around him. He saw his clone staring back, fear and acceptance in his eyes, and then those eyes changed from a dark gray to a deep violet. Shiro saw the red bandana around his neck. He saw messy black hair framing not _his_ face, but -

“Keith?” Shiro asked, and he heard a sigh of relief behind him. He turned and saw Lance, restraining the witch, who was looking at Shiro in shock.

“ _No,_ ” the witch said, trying to struggle out of Lance’s grip. Hunk and Pidge moved to help hold her down, yellow and green bandanas around their necks. 

“It all went according to plan, just like I said it would,” Keith said, and Shiro turned to see his grin. Shiro looked at him for a long moment, and then he took a step back, letting him go and holding out his knife. Keith took it, tucking it under his sweatshirt.

“I almost stabbed you,” Shiro said, pinching the bridge of his nose. It felt like he’d been hit by a truck. Keith shrugged his shoulders. 

“It was about time someone pulled a knife on _me_ for once.”

“So you admit that you pulled a knife on me!” Lance yelled, pointing a finger at Keith with his free hand. Keith rolled his eyes. Then he met Shiro’s gaze and frowned. 

“Are you okay? The things you said -” 

“Nobody move,” a voice demanded, and everyone turned to see Lotor standing on the other side of the room, next to the door that they’d entered from. A long blade was pressed against Pilot’s throat. Pilot looked at them all, bewildered. 

“Don’t touch him!” Lance said. Keith reached behind his back for his knife, but Lotor caught the movement and pressed the knife further against Pilot’s throat, causing him to wince. Shiro watched in horror as a line of red formed on Pilot’s neck. 

“Lotor,” Shiro said. “You don’t have to do this.” Lotor looked at him with wild eyes.

“I don’t have a choice,” Lotor said. Shiro met Pilot’s gaze, giving him a reassuring smile, and then he looked back at Lotor.

“You always have a choice,” Shiro continued. “You want to make the world a better place. You _care_ about people. I know that’s why you’re doing all of this. Not for the witch, but for the hope of a better future.” Lotor bared his teeth.

“Don’t try to analyze me.” 

“Lotor, a better future, a better _life_ , starts with smaller choices like this one. It starts with helping _one_ person. It starts with making one choice to be more than what people expect of us. It starts with making a decision for _yourself_.” Lotor adjusted his grip on his knife, looking at everyone around him.

“Shiro -” Pilot began, looking down at the knife. 

“It’s going to be okay, Pilot.”

“You don’t know that. You’re making empty promises, just like _she_ did,” Lotor spat.

“She didn’t want to hurt you, Lotor,” Shiro said. “She just couldn’t let other people get hurt, too. She wanted a better future, just like you do.” Keith stepped forward.

“Sometimes it seems like someone is against you, or doesn’t understand you, but then you realize that the choices they’ve made,” Keith began, looking at Shiro. “They were all made to help you from the beginning.”

“Do _not_ listen to this, my son -” the witch began, but Pidge reached up to tie her bandana around her mouth, muffling her. The witch looked at Pidge in outrage.

“Sometimes you have to believe that good things can happen. You can’t control everything, and things may not always work out, but you have to have hope that they _could_ ,” Lance said. “Where you are now does _not_ define who you can be.”

Lotor shook his head, squeezing his eyes closed. “No, _no_ ! I will not listen to your meaningless words. You know _nothing_ of what I’ve been through. You couldn’t possibly understand -” In that moment the door behind Lotor opened and Allura appeared, quickly sticking Lotor with a syringe. Lotor let go of Pilot, grabbing his neck and looking at her in shock before falling to the floor, unconscious. Pilot fell to his knees, holding his throat, and Allura moved to check on him.

“It’s okay, it was just a sedative,” Allura explained, helping Pilot to his feet.

“ _What was that_?” Lance protested, looking to Shiro and Keith for answers. Shiro and Keith looked at each other.

“Did you -?” Shiro began to ask, but Keith shook his head. 

“She wasn’t part of the plan.” Allura looked up at the two of them, her eyes narrowing. Shiro felt dread creep up his spine. 

“Do not claim to know what people do or do not understand,” a woman’s voice said, and Shiro and Keith watched with wide eyes and Mrs. Han entered the room, followed by Iverson. They were both dressed in formal attire, bullet-proof vests strapped across their chests. 

“ _Mr. Iverson_?” Hunk said in disbelief. Pidge adjusted her glasses, eyes wide with shock.

“What the f-”

“That’s enough, Mrs. Holt,” Iverson warned, and Pidge shut her mouth.

“Allura, what’s going on?” Shiro asked as a team of medics came into the room. Allura handed Pilot over to them and they inspected his neck, although Pilot was trying to wave them off. 

“What is _going on_ is that you decided to go along with a plan without letting me _in_ on it, Shiro,” Allura said, her eyes burning in anger. Shiro swallowed, looking guiltily at the ground. Keith stepped forward.

“I’m sorry, Allura, that’s my fault. We thought you wouldn’t approve. You said you trusted Lotor -” Keith began, and Allura laughed. Keith and Shiro looked at her with wide eyes. 

“I only wanted Lotor to _think_ that I trusted him,” Allura corrected. She sighed, rubbing one of her temples. “I suppose that I’ve been harboring my own secrets as well.”

“We should apprehend the criminal first,” Iverson said gruffly, and Allura dropped her arm, nodding her head. Mrs. Han and Iverson went over to Lance, Hunk, and Pidge, and they handed the witch over. Soon they had her hands behind her back, cuffing her. 

“This is ridiculous,” the witch protested, spitting out Pidge’s bandana. “You have _no evidence_ -”

“I think we have all the evidence that we need, Honerva,” Mrs. Han said sweetly, gesturing around the room. “And I bet that whatever’s behind that door will be helpful to the investigation as well,” she added, nodding to the side room. The witch’s eyes widened in horror. She tried to struggle out of Iverson’s grip, but he wasn’t phased. Mrs. Han caught Shiro watching them and she gave him one of her kind smiles.

“Good job, you two. I’ll have a nice meal waiting for you when you get home.” Shiro and Keith watched in awe as she and Iverson dragged the witch - _Honerva_ \- out of the room. 

“Thank you for all of your help, dear,” Mrs. Han said to Allura as they left. Allura nodded her head, giving her a small smile before catching Shiro and Keith’s expressions. She walked over to them, her gaze icy. But once she was close enough her expression thawed and she pulled them both into a hug. 

“Allura,” Shiro breathed, the wind knocked out of him by the force of her hug. “What just happened?” Allura pulled away from them both, Keith grumbling something and adjusting his hoodie. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She was wearing her usual suit for racing, along with a bulletproof vest much like the ones Iverson and Mrs. Han had on.

“Iverson and Mrs. Han are in the FBI,” Allura explained, and she was met with dumbfounded expressions.

“The _FBI_ ?” Lance called from the other side of the room, and he, along with Hunk and Pidge, went to join them. “But Mr. Iverson is our _math teacher_.”

“And Mrs. Han has been my neighbor for years,” Shiro said with a furrowed brow. Allura nodded her head. 

“Yes, but they’ve also been working undercover.” Allura took a breath, clasping her hands together. “I’ll try to explain this the best that I can.” She paused, organizing her thoughts. “Keith’s mom was not the first person that Pilot’s brother contacted. He went to the FBI first, but they had written him off. They thought that he was just an overexcited criminal justice student. It was after he died in that mysterious crash that they realized their mistake.” Allura looked back at where Pilot was sitting. He was talking to one of the agents, but he kept sneaking curious glances over at them, and what seemed like longing glances at Shiro. Shiro resisted the urge to run over to him, letting Allura finish. “Iverson and Mrs. Han decided to take on the project years later. They made the same connections that he did, but they didn’t have any evidence.” Allura paused, making sure that they were following. “That’s when they did some digging, and found the request that I had made years ago, when my father had passed.” Shiro’s eyes widened.

“You contacted the FBI?” Allura nodded her head. 

“I wanted justice, and I had a feeling that the violence wouldn’t stop with my father.” Allura frowned. “I’m sad to say that I had been correct. At first they were hesitant to get involved, they monitored my shop for close to a year, and then they spotted you going inside,” Allura said, looking at Shiro. “You, one of the potential test subjects on their list, and Keith, the son of the woman Pilot’s brother had contacted before he died.” 

“This is insane,” Hunk breathed. “I think I’m going to be sick.” Pidge put a hand on his back.

“They contacted me not long after. They gave me files on the drunk driving incidents and they asked me for a favor.” Allura paused, a guilty expression on her face. “They wanted me to get you involved, Shiro, because they thought that you could lead them to the evidence that they needed in order to convict.” 

“Me? Why me?” Shiro asked. Allura’s lips tugged up in amusement.

“They knew that you were the former champion, and that you and Keith both had a knack for finding trouble,” she explained. Then she frowned. “What they didn’t expect were for you two to form a plan without me.”

“Lotor had gotten on your good side, we thought that -” Keith began to explain. Allura held up a hand to stop him, a small smile on her face.

“I understand. To be honest, I wasn’t certain of Lotor’s intentions at first, that is, until he hacked into my database. Until he poisoned Keith.” She looked back at where Lotor was on the ground, surrounded by medics. The drug was beginning to wear off, but he still looked dazed. “You made a smart decision, it was just one that none of us expected. I was supposed to be here to look after you,” Allura said, putting a gentle hand on Shiro’s cheek. “Letting you go to Galra U that night, I was _terrified_. I almost went after you. I wanted to tell you everything, but they promised me that they would have agents monitoring the campus 24/7. They promised to keep you safe.” Shiro covered Allura’s hand with one of his own.

“You did an amazing job, Allura. Your father would be so proud.” Allura smiled at that, tears in her eyes, and then her smile faltered. She pulled Shiro in for a hug, burying her face in his chest. Shiro wrapped his arms around her. 

“We really did it, Shiro. We can move on now,” Allura said, her voice muffled by his jacket. Shiro clenched his jaw. She was right. It was over. She pulled away from him, and he smiled at her. 

“We should check on Pilot. I think he’s feeling left out,” Shiro said, although it was really him that desperately wanted to check and see if Pilot was okay. And to explain some things. Allura wiped her tears away with the heel of her palm. 

“Yes, I think there’s a lot that he needs to be caught up on.” Shiro put a hand on her shoulder as he took a step past her and towards Pilot, but then his knees buckled.

“Shiro!” many voices called out at once. Shiro found Pilot’s eyes from across the room, and he watched as Pilot left the agent behind and began running over to him. Shiro’s head started to swim, and the last thing he saw was a constellation of freckles before his head hit the floor.

 

 

When he woke up it was with a start. He immediately sat upright, clinging to the white sheets of the bed he was in. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” a voice said soothingly. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and saw a pair of kind, multi-colored eyes. Shiro blinked at the figure before him, panic still rising up his chest. A machine started to beep more insistently. 

“It’s okay, Shiro,” another voice said, and Shiro made out a mess of black hair and tired eyes. “You’re okay.” Shiro was finally able to focus on the two figures sitting on either side of his bed, and he started to relax, steadying his breathing. 

“Sorry,” Shiro said, putting a hand on his forehead. “I don’t know what had me so freaked out there -”

“It was the drug that Honerva gave you,” Keith explained, his brow furrowed as he crossed his arms. “It was different than her other ones. It could’ve killed you.” Shiro swore he could feel Keith’s barely restrained anger. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Keith’s hair suddenly burst into flames.

“But Dr. Han took good care of you, and he says that you’ll be fine,” Allura assured him, giving his shoulder a squeeze before letting go, setting her hands in her lap. She had brought her hair up into a messy bun. She was wearing Keith’s oversized sweatshirt. 

“How long have I been here?”

“A few hours,” Keith said, looking out the window. “You collapsed, back at the labs.” Shiro rubbed his head, grimacing.

“Yeah, I think I vaguely remember that part.” He paused. “Where is everyone else? What happened to Honerva? To Lotor?” Allura smiled, moving to stand. 

“I’ll go grab the others. Keith can fill you in.” With that she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Keith was still looking out the window. It was dark, and it was hard to make out any stars.

“The FBI have them detained,” Keith said, his voice neutral. “With the evidence they found, they know that Honerva is heading to prison. They’re just deciding what to do with Lotor.” Shiro nodded his head, and then a silence settled over them. It wasn’t one of the comfortable silences that the two of them were used to. He watched as Keith continued to frown at the window.

“Hey,” Shiro said, bumping Keith’s leg with his knee. “Are you okay?” Keith scoffed, shaking his head a little.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Keith frowned, guilt flashing across his eyes. Then he quickly shifted in the bed to face Shiro, finding it hard to meet his gaze. He chose to look at his hands in his lap instead. “I’m a selfish person, aren’t I?” Shiro looked at him in confusion.

“Where is this coming from?” Keith frowned further. 

“I make everything about me, about _my_ problems. I never stopped to consider your feelings, or everything that you’ve been through. You lost your parents, too, you were hurt by Honerva, too, you wanted to get your life back, too. But all I ever thought about was myself, and I was so angry at you for not understanding.”

“But I did understand,” Shiro agreed. Then he paused, thinking. “If you’re blaming yourself then you’ll have to blame me, too.” Keith finally met his gaze, looking confused. “For so long I’ve kept myself closed off. I ignored my needs, I didn’t _tell_ you what I was feeling. How were you expected to know when I chose to act like everything was okay?” Shiro exhaled, feeling the exhaustion in his bones. “I’m just glad that you were able to get through to me.” Shiro let out a tired laugh. “I can’t believe that you let me pull your own knife on you. You really need to care about your well being more.” Keith smirked at that. 

“Says the guy who willing allowed himself to get double-crossed by Lotor,” Keith shot back. He frowned. “We should’ve known that Honerva would have a new drug up her sleeve.” Shiro lifted up his fist.

“Either way we managed to pull it off,” Shiro offered, and Keith nodded his head, bumping Shiro’s fist with his own. Then he hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something more. Shiro was about to ask him what else was on his mind when Keith shot towards him, pulling Shiro into a firm hug, his black hair tickling Shiro’s nose. Shiro smiled, hugging him back.

“Thank you, Shiro,” Keith said quietly. “For being my family, for trusting in me, for looking out for me when I wasn’t looking after myself.”

“Of course, Keith. You’re my brother, and I love you.” Keith let out a breathy laugh. Shiro thought it sounded like Keith was crying, but he didn’t comment on it. Then Keith pulled away, quickly swiping a palm across his cheek and looking back towards the window. 

“Next time you try to fight me I won’t hold back, just so you know,” Keith said, and Shiro grinned. In that moment the door opened and Lance, Hunk, and Pidge rushed into the room, coming to stand by Shiro’s bedside. Allura walked in after them, closing the door and moving to stand next to Keith. She gave Keith a kind smile before turning her attention back to Shiro.

“That was crazy!” Pidge yelled, her hair sticking up wildly in all directions. “We just met the FBI! Matt is going to freak when he finds out.” 

“I’m going to need to sleep for like 24 hours once I get home,” Hunk said, putting a hand on his chest. “I think I aged fifty years.”

“Are you kidding? I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep again!” Lance said, gripping the bar that ran across Shiro’s bed. “I mean, how can we just go to school after this? Will Iverson still be our teacher?”

“That would be crazy!” Pidge said, holding on to her hair. “Next time he tries to take points off of my test for dumb reasons I’m going to threaten telling the school that he’s an _undercover cop_ -”

“Pidge!” Hunk said, scandalized. Lance gave her a high five. Keith shook his head, laughing as he watched them. Allura gave them all a polite but disapproving smile.

“How about we calm down for Shiro’s sake, shall we? Dr. Han said that he needs to take it easy right now.” Lance, Hunk, and Pidge looked guiltily at Shiro. 

“Sorry, Shiro,” Lance said, rubbing the back of his neck. Shiro laughed.

“It’s okay. I’m feeling good right now, actually.” He watched as Pidge moved to sit on his bed, fixing her large glasses and folding her legs under her. 

“Great, then you can tell us how the heck you and Keith managed to pull this plan off,” Pidge said. Hunk looked at him hopefully as well.

“I must confess, I was wondering that myself. It seemed to me that everything went wrong, and yet things seemed to fall into place all the same,” Allura mused. Lance had a smug grin on his face as he put his hands behind his head, shooting Keith a wink.

“No, the three of us planned all of this from the beginning. It was my best work.” Keith rolled his eyes.

“Lance, _I_ came up with the plan. Shiro just told you what to do.” Lance put a hand on his chest, looking offended. 

“But it was only because of _my_ excellent sneaking skills that we got anywhere,” Lance pointed out. Keith rolled his eyes again, but he didn’t disagree. Allura furrowed her brow.

“I thought that you had chosen to leave Lance out of the plan, Shiro.” Shiro gave her a guilty look.

“I’m sorry, Allura, but that was a lie.”

“We had a feeling that Lotor had tapped into your phone, so we decided to use it to our advantage,” Keith explained. Allura nodded her head.

“Yes, I had my suspicions about that as well,” Allura said. “When Shiro asked me on the phone what I thought of Lotor, I knew that I had to choose my words carefully.” Allura looked at Shiro. “Please continue.”

“I told Allura that we were leaving Lance out of the plan, and yet he was the most important part of it,” Shiro said, noticing the way Lance puffed out his chest. Pidge flicked his forehead and he made a startled noise, rubbing his forehead and shooting Pidge a glare. “While we were in the records room, drawing all of the attention, Lance was sneaking into a different part of the lab, looking for a high-level security key. We had a feeling that Keith’s mom would be kept in a highly guarded area of the labs.”

“It was too easy,” Lance said, that triumphant grin back on his face. “It took some searching, but once the alarm was set off and the guards were after Shiro and Keith _I_ was able to swipe a key during all of the confusion. I even managed to find a sample of the drug.”

“Yeah, that changed the plan a little,” Keith added. “We didn’t plan to get that lucky.” Lance made an offended noise.

“That wasn’t luck, that was _skill_.”

“Okay, _Blue_ ,” Keith said, shooting him a teasing grin. Lance’s cheeks seemed to heat up and he looked away, his smug posture dissolving. 

“Thankfully Lotor acted just like we expected, and offered his help,” Shiro explained. Keith nodded his head. 

“We had a feeling that he would try and pretend to be on our side, and would attempt to drive us apart in the process. So we decided to give him what he wanted.”

“Keith and I decided to stage a fight in the lecture hall, Keith refusing to work with him. And then later I would call Lotor and ask to meet up with him. I would pretend like I was on board with his plan, and that I thought Keith was acting like the child Lotor saw him as.” Keith scoffed.

“He thought that everything was in his control, that he understood us enough to get us to turn on each other.” Keith looked at Shiro, the corner of his mouth tugging up into a smile. “He was wrong.” Shiro nodded his head.

“We were a step ahead of him the whole time.” Allura frowned.

“But then how did Pidge and Hunk get involved?” 

“Lance and Keith explained to us what was going on, told us about the sample, and earlier tonight the three of us went to my brother Matt to see if he could figure the formula out. Thankfully the thesis he’s working on is related to this kind of stuff,” Pidge explained. “He had a lot of questions, but I’m very good at dodging questions.” She paused. “ _And_ I told him that he could have the Xbox for the next month if he helped us out,” she confessed.

“We were able to work together to make a kind of antidote,” Hunk added. “We weren’t sure if we would needed it, but it ended up coming in handy!” Keith nodded, looking at Shiro. 

“We gave it to Dr. Han, and they were able to use it to help you when you arrived.” Then he looked at Allura. “Once we had the antidote we went to Galra U, and Lance used the security key to get through all of the locked doors.”

“I left small, colored rocks to show them which doors we were going through,” Shiro added. Keith reached his hand into his pocket, pulling out the rocks that Shiro was referring to, showing Allura before stuffing them back in. “We planned to take down Lotor and Honerva together.” Shiro gave Allura a sheepish smile. “But I’ll admit that it was nice to have the FBI on our side. Things almost got really bad in there.” Then his eyes widened in realization. He looked around the hospital room as if he’d find the person he was looking for standing in the corner. “Where is Pilot? Is he okay?” He felt a pang of guilt for not realizing sooner. He remembered the line of blood on his neck, the way he’d called out Shiro’s name, how he tried to fight against Lotor. It was Shiro’s fault that he’d been there in the first place.

“Iverson is getting his testimony,” Allura explained. “He should be done soon, and he’s completely fine, just a little shaken up, I believe.” Then she frowned, her expression hard to read. “Look, Shiro, there’s something that you need to know -” Hunk, Pidge, and Lance gave each other nervous looks.

“Allura, are you sure -?” Hunk began to ask, but in that moment the door opened, and a new person came into the room, shutting the door gently behind him. 

Hey guys,” Adam said, fidgeting with the hem of the black t-shirt he had on. He stood by the door, holding his arms uncomfortably across his chest. He hair was messier than usual, and Shiro thought that he could make out dark circles under his eyes. It was odd not seeing him in some kind of sweater. It was odd seeing him without his glasses. Adam lifted his eyes and found Shiro from across the room, relief washing over his face. Relief and hesitation. 

“Hey,” Shiro said, his voice quiet and hoarse. Allura walked over to Adam, putting a hand on his shoulder. Then she looked back at the others. 

“How about we go find some food? Dr. Han says that the cake is good here.”

“I doubt that it’ll live up to my expectations -” Hunk began, but then he saw Allura’s stern look and his eyes widened. “But that’s a great idea! Let’s go guys.” Shiro watched as Hunk, Lance, and Pidge joined Allura at the door. Then Lance stopped, looking at Keith expectantly. 

“You coming?” Lance asked. Keith shook his head. 

“I’ll meet up with you guys later.” 

“Okay,” Lance said, a softness in his voice that wasn’t usually there, and the four of them left the room. Keith moved to stand, crossing his arms.

“I’m going to check on my mom,” Keith said quietly, and Shiro looked at him in surprise. 

“She’s here? Is she okay?” Keith pinched his brows together. 

“Dr. Han says that she is, but she hasn’t woken up yet. I should see if anything’s changed.” Shiro nodded his head, and Keith moved towards the door.

“Keith?” Shiro asked, and Keith stopped, turning to look at him. Shiro smiled. “I’m happy that we found her.” Keith’s lips quirked up into a smile.

“Yeah,” he said quietly, a gleam in his eyes, one that reminded Shiro of how young he was. “Me too.” With that he left the room, leaving Adam and Shiro to look at each other in the semidarkness. Shiro wondered exactly how long he’d been unconscious, and if the sun would rise soon.

“Hey,” Adam breathed, and Shiro smiled.

“You said that already.”

“Did I?” Adam asked, running a nervous hand through his hair. “Because honestly right now I don’t think any of the words that I’m saying are processing in my brain right now.” Shiro laughed.

“You just said ‘right now’ twice.” Adam groaned, throwing his hands in the air. 

“See? I forgot how to function as a human being.” 

“Come here, Adam,” Shiro said, a soft smile still on his face. Adam looked at him in surprise, and then he walked over to his bedside, laying a gentle hand on the bar. He exhaled.

“How are you feeling?” Adam asked. 

“Oh this?” Shiro said, gesturing to the IV in his arm. “I’ve had worse.” Adam looked at him in disbelief, and then he shook his head, biting back his grin.

“You’re crazy.” 

“I would use the word ‘daredevil’,” Shiro offered, remembering the time Adam had jokingly called him that, what felt like a forever ago. That _version_ of himself felt like a forever ago. Then he became shy, looking at his hands in his lap. “How much did they tell you?” he asked, and Adam looked down, his expression hard to read.

“Yeah, you’re probably confused as to why I’m here,” Adam said, voice wavering. He reached up to adjust his glasses, and when he realized that he didn’t have them he dropped his hand, giving Shiro a nervous smile. That’s when Shiro noticed the faint line across his neck. “There’s something that I need to tell you, and it’ll probably come as a surprise, and I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner but really _you_ never told _me_ who you were so -” Shiro reached out, taking hold of one of Adam’s hands. Adam stopped talking, looking at him in surprise.

“I know that you’re Pilot.” Adam’s eyes only widened further. 

“What? How -? I mean, _when_? I mean - what makes you think that -?” Adam stumbled out, becoming more flustered with each passing second. Shiro squeezed his hand, looking down at his sheets.

“When Keith and I went to the records room last night, I found a file,” Shiro explained. He shook his head slightly. “It wasn’t part of the plan. We were just trying to get some information on me, and to serve as a distraction, but -” Shiro lifted his gaze, looking at Adam. Then he let go of Adam’s hand, throwing his sheets aside and swinging his legs over the bed. Adam watched him with wide eyes.

“Wait, Dr. Han said that you should be resting -” Adam began, but Shiro moved to stand in front of him, their faces only a foot apart, and Adam stopped.

“If I suddenly collapse you’ll be here to catch me,” Shiro reasoned, and he watched as Adam’s face heated up.

“I guess it’s okay, then,” Adam agreed. “Now what is this about a file?” Shiro bit his lip, looking down before finding Adam’s gaze again. His eyes were warm and curious. And a little terrified. Shiro loved how expressive Adam’s eyes were, and he was convinced that if Pilot’s eyes weren’t covered by goggles he would’ve been able to figure out who he was a lot sooner. 

“It was a file on your brother, Casey Wadley,” Shiro explained, and he saw hurt and confusion flash across Adam’s eyes. “They’d been keeping tabs on him. They had pictures of him talking to Krolia, even a picture of him calling you before - _before_ ,” Shiro finished. “I knew that it had to be Pilot’s brother, and that it had to be _your_ brother - you look _so alike_ . That’s when Keith and I realized.” Shiro put a hand on Adam’s chest. “I’m sorry that I brought you into this, that I didn’t tell you sooner, but it had always been part of the plan to ask you, _Pilot_ , for help, and we wanted Lotor and Honerva to think that they still had more information than we did.” Shiro felt a stab of guilt. “I realize now that we were using you, and that was wrong. I should’ve told you once I knew.” Adam looked at him for a long moment, glancing down at where Shiro’s hand was resting against his chest before reaching up to hold it in his own hands.

“Do you really think I care about that?” Adam asked, and Shiro looked at him in surprise. A wide grin spread across Adam’s face. “Shiro, I would’ve followed you anywhere, and I _still_ would. I trust you completely. You were trying to do what’s best, like you _always_ do. No plan is ever going to perfect. The fact that it worked is what matters, the fact that you’re here and you’re _okay_ .” Adam stopped, his smile falling as he searched Shiro’s gaze. “ _Are_ you okay?” Shiro was caught off guard by his question. He furrowed his brow. Of course he was okay. Why wouldn’t he be? He was about to tell Adam that, but then he thought about it, _really_ thought about it, and he felt tears rolling down his cheeks before he even realized that he was crying. He buried his face in Adam’s chest, and he felt Adam run a comforting hand through his hair.

“I’m so tired,” Shiro managed to say, balling his fists into Adam’s shirt. It smelled like sweat and gasoline. He shook his head. He had been alone and afraid for _so long_. And he never had time to let himself process all of these emotions because he always had to be the adult - for his dad, for his mom, for Keith. And yet here was Adam, allowing Shiro to be as young as he was, offering to take some of the burden off of his shoulders. “I just don’t want to be alone again,” Shiro whispered, and Adam tightened his arms around Shiro, pressing his cheek into his hair.

“You won’t be, _never_ again,” Adam promised. “Not while we’re here.” He paused, taking a shuddering breath. “Not while _I’m_ here. I’ll always be by your side, Shiro - _Paladin_ \- for as long as you’ll have me.” Shiro pulled away from his embrace, searching his eyes. Then he allowed himself a small smile. He moved to wipe his tears away, but Adam’s hands were already there, drying his tears with his thumbs as he held Shiro’s face. “ _As long as you’ll have me,_ ” Adam repeated more firmly this time. Shiro let out a watery laugh.

“I think I made myself pretty clear back in the Black Lion,” Shiro said, and Adam’s eyes widened in realization. “I love you, Adam. Every part of you. I’d like to have you forever, if that’s okay.” Adam’s lips parted in shock, and Shiro watched as tears welled up in Adam’s eyes as well.

“I didn’t even get the chance to properly ask you out,” Adam said, tears falling down his cheeks. Shiro laughed.

“I can’t believe that you named your dog after your car,” Shiro said, and Adam shook his head, tears still in his eyes.

“No, I named my car after my dog,” he corrected, and Shiro grinned, resting his forehead against Adam’s. They stayed like that for a moment, both of them trying to fight back their grins and their tears at the same time.

“So what do we do now, Pilot?” Shiro asked, and he saw Adam’s eyes rise to meet his gaze, his face only inches from his own. 

“I think we do what I’ve been dying to do for over a year,” Adam said, and Shiro raised a brow.

“Oh? And what is -?” Shiro was cut off by the feeling of Adam’s lips against his own. Shiro let out a hum of surprise, and then he fell back to sit on the hospital bed, Adam leaning down, placing his arms on either side of Shiro as they continued to kiss. Shiro felt lightheaded as he felt Adam’s lips slide against his own. He gasped as he felt Adam deepen the kiss, and he quickly let him, putting a hand on Adam’s cheek. He could feel his hand shake, but this wasn’t at all what it was like when he was drugged.

This was a different kind of drug.

Adam pulled away, catching his breath. He opened his eyes and looked at Shiro.

“I wanted to do that for so long,” Adam confessed.

“For over a year,” Shiro observed, a teasing edge to his smile. Adam blushed. Then Shiro grabbed the front of Adam’s shirt, pulling him back in. “I feel the same. I’ve always felt the same.” Adam looked down at Shiro’s lips, and Shiro tilted his face up to kiss him, Adam’s lips eager and willing. Shiro found his hands wandering under Adam’s shirt, and Adam gasped, moving to kiss Shiro’s neck. Shiro began to feel dizzy with want, running his hands along warm skin as he could feel Adam’s smile on his neck. Shiro thought that he could hear beeping somewhere far away. “Adam,” Shiro breathed, but it sounded more like a pant as Adam placed his hands on Shiro’s thighs. The beeping got faster. This was so much. This was everything. This was the _future_. Then the door flew open and Dr. Han, along with a few nurses came rushing into the room. Adam and Shiro quickly broke apart, looking at them all in surprise. Dr. Han looked at them with wide eyes, and then he covered his mouth, trying and failing to hide his grin. That was when Shiro noticed how fast the heart monitor next to his bed was beeping.

“The patient needs to keep his heart rate down, since the drug still hasn’t completely left his system,” one of the nurses explained, finding it hard to meet their eyes. Shiro’s cheeks heated up in embarrassment, and he saw the mortified look on Adam’s face. 

“I’m so sorry!” Adam said. He looked at Shiro. “Did I almost _kill you_?” Shiro could still feel Adam’s lips on his own, on his neck. The places where Adam had touched him burned. He gave Adam a grin.

“Worth it.” Adam looked at him in disbelief, and Dr. Han couldn’t contain his laughter anymore, holding on to one of his nurses for support. Then Allura, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk came rushing into the room, holding various slices of cake. Keith came in not long after, knife in his hand.

“What happened?” Keith asked, looking around the room and assessing the danger. Lance looked between Adam and Shiro, and seemed to be the first one to notice their disheveled appearances, their heavy breathing. He dropped his cake, opening his mouth in shock.

“ _Were you two just making out?_ ” 

“First our math teacher is FBI and now _this_?” Pidge asked, throwing her arms in their direction, Hunk grabbing her cake before it dropped onto the floor as well. Allura hid a smile behind her hand.

“It’s about time,” she said under her breath, and Shiro shot her an unamused look.

“Please put the knife away, sir,” one of the nurses said to Keith, and Keith narrowed his gaze as he tucked his knife behind his back slowly, looking at her suspiciously. 

“I’m just going to find a hole to die in now,” Adam said, a furious blush on his cheeks. He caught Shiro looking at him and he smiled, his gaze softening. 

“You can do that after we eat cake!” Allura declared, and she and Hunk walked over and set slices of cake down on the bed. Lance and Pidge hastily cleaned up the cake on the floor and joined them, Lance slinging an arm around Keith to bring him in. It looked like a nurse was about to protest, but Dr. Han gave him a smile, and he gestured for his staff to leave the room. 

“Dibs on chocolate!” Pidge declared, already stabbing the slice of chocolate with her fork.

“I already called it, Pidge!” Lance protested, trying to shove her away from it. Allura cut a piece for Keith and handed it over to him. Keith accepted it and set it down next to him, pulling out his knife to help Hunk cut up the other pieces. Hunk watched him warily as he handed out the rest of the cake. Hunk held out a piece to Adam, beaming at him, and then he gave one to Shiro.

“Is vanilla okay, Shiro?” Hunk asked. Keith scoffed.

“Shiro is the most vanilla person I know - no one would like vanilla cake more than him,” Keith said, biting back his smile as he dodged Shiro’s kick.

“Oh I’m not so sure about that. Shiro _did_ just try to get it on in a hospital room,” Allura pointed out. They all looked at her with horrified expressions, but she just smiled and popped a piece of strawberry cake in her mouth as Adam covered his face with his hands.

“I can’t believe that Shiro was so horny for Dr. Wadley that he almost died,” Pidge said, shaking her head.

“Pidge!” Shiro saw the exasperated look on Adam’s face as he pulled his hands away, looking at her with wide eyes.

“ _What?_ I called you Dr. Wadley this time!” Pidge protested. Everyone was silent for a moment, and then they all broke out into laughter. Shiro watched as they held on to each other for support, tears in their eyes from laughing so much, and he couldn’t stop smiling. He remembered waking up after that crash, how empty and cold the hospital room was, how no one was there to take him home. He hadn’t realized how full his life had become. He felt Adam’s hand slide over his own, weaving their fingers together. Shiro looked up and met his eyes, finding Adam already smiling at him. He found himself already smiling back.

And he found himself looking ahead at the happiness to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me @nobodys-pearls if you want! <3


	12. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait but I hope that you guys enjoy this final chapter! There's also a time skip that's almost the same amount of time that has passed since I last updated lol.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's read this story it means so much to me! <33

_**Four Months Later** _

 

Soulmates had always been a funny idea to Shiro. The idea that two souls could be tied together, that this tying of souls could be inevitable? Too many people had left in Shiro’s life for him to believe that something like that could be true for him. For so long Shiro had thought that there was something inside of him that made it impossible for people to stay. Maybe soulmates did exist, but not for him. There was something broken inside of him. 

That was a fact that had been sewn onto Shiro’s heart for as long as he could remember. But he wore it like a badge. He convinced himself that it would be okay if he kept reaching out to others and they never reached back. He was supposed to reach upwards towards the stars, watch them burn, admire them, but never hold them in his hands, never feel that warmth himself. That was the role that he was meant to play. 

But then, without Shiro even realizing it, things began to change. He met a girl who saw right through his secret identity and helped him, supported him, understood what it felt like to lose someone important and to fill the expectations that were left behind. He met a young boy who knew the anger and confusion that came with being left behind, who demanded answers, who was afraid to ask for too much. These people were like him. They were reaching out too, losing hope that someone would reach back. And Shiro did what he always did, and held out his hands for them. But he always kept them at arm’s length, because he was afraid. He was afraid of what would happen if he finally accepted help himself, if he let someone see his brokenness. He was afraid that once they did see it, then they would leave too. 

Because people always left. They didn’t always mean to, but they did all the same. So Shiro would run away before someone else had the chance, he would cut the string before it wound around his fingertips, his chest, his throat. Because the idea that someone would actually stay, would accept the jagged shards of Shiro’s soul, was an impossible dream. 

Until it wasn’t. 

“Hey Takashi,” a voice said from above. Shiro cracked open an eyelid to see a corgi looking down at him, panting. 

“I didn’t know you could talk, Attie,” Shiro said, scratching behind Atlas’ ears. “And you sound just like Adam, too.” Shiro heard a scoff and watched as Atlas was lifted into the air and into Adam’s arms. The corners of Adam’s lips were turned up in amusement as he looked down at Shiro. Sunlight caught in his hair and made it look golden and glowing. Adam adjusted his glasses as he tucked Atlas under his arm, Atlas wagging his tail in delight. 

“What can I say? Attie’s the best dog around,” Adam declared, and then he stumbled forward a bit, looking down to see that Kosmo had appeared between his legs. He laughed and gave Kosmo a gentle pat on the head. “Maybe he’s tied for first.” Kosmo thumped his tail against the grass, and Adam looked down at Shiro once more. 

“Care to join me?” Shiro asked, patting the empty space next to him. Adam looked like he wanted to accept, but he shook his head slightly, that smile still on his face. He was wearing Shiro’s bomber jacket. Spring was here but it still hadn’t warmed up yet. 

“I just got a text from Lance that Keith is freaking out, so we should probably head over there now.” Shiro lifted himself up on his elbows, furrowing his brow.

“Is he pacing in his room, not talking to anyone?” Shiro asked. Adam nodded his head and Shiro winced. “Yeah, we should go,” Shiro reasoned. Adam reached out his hand for Shiro to take, and Shiro looked at it for a moment, thinking about soulmates again. Adam noticed his hesitation.

“Attie may have slobbered on it a little when he was trying to take the frisbee out of my hands,” Adam admitted, looking sheepish. Shiro laughed and took his hand, letting Adam help him get to his feet. Shiro bent over to pick up the blanket he was lying on, along with the bag full of toys and frisbees that they’d brought to the park, and then he straightened up again, pressing a kiss on Adam’s cheek. 

“I can drive,” Shiro offered, holding out his hand. He watched as Adam placed the keys in his hand, a furious blush on his cheeks. Kosmo barked and Shiro and Adam both turned to see Kosmo already sitting by the car, wagging his tail. Adam puffed out his cheeks, shaking his head a little in disbelief.

“Kosmo can be kind of creepy sometimes,” Adam said, and Shiro laughed.

“That might be Keith’s favorite thing about him.”

 

 

“Good, you guys are here,” Hunk said, stepping aside so Shiro and Adam could enter the apartment. Atlas and Kosmo immediately cuddled up next to each other on the couch. “Keith and Lance are in his room.”

“Keith’s probably worn a hole in his rug by now,” Pidge said from where she was sitting on the couch, eating something out of a pyrex container.

“What are you eating?” Adam asked, his nose scrunched up slightly as he watched Pidge stick her spoon into something thick and chunky. Hunk sighed.

“You really don’t want to know.” Adam gave Pidge an exasperated look, shaking his head. Shiro smiled, bumping his shoulder. 

“You were always so impressed that I was taking care of a teenager, while you’re taking care of three of your own,” Shiro teased, and Adam gave Shiro a tired smile. 

“Let’s be honest - it’s more like the three of them take care of me.” 

“He’d be a disaster without us!” Pidge declared, waving her spoon in the air. 

“We still can’t convince him to stop wearing those sweater vests to school though,” Lance said, appearing from the hallway and shaking his head. “It’s a difficult loss.” Adam made an offended noise as he fixed his glasses.

“They’re math related! They’re cool! Right, Takashi?” Adam asked, turning to look at Shiro. Shiro obviously hesitated for too long, because Adam made another noise of protest and Lance and Pidge started laughing. Hunk hid his grin behind his hand. Shiro pressed a kiss to Adam’s cheek.

“They’re very cute,” Shiro whispered in Adam’s ear. “But I think I like the way my jacket looks on you more.” He pulled away to see a deep blush spreading across Adam’s cheeks.

“Gross!” Pidge protested. Lance covered his eyes.

“Yeah, Shiro, how about you talk to Keith,” Lance said. He was teasing but Shiro could hear a note of worry in his tone as well.

“Before I barf!” Pidge added.

“If that happens it’s only because you’re eating that monstrosity,” Hunk sniffed, looking at Pidge in disapproval. Pidge dug her spoon into the bowl and continued eating, making direct eye contact with Hunk as she did so. Hunk’s eyes widened and made his way over to Pidge, a spatula suddenly in hand, but Adam managed to get in between them before a food fight broke out in the middle of Shiro’s apartment. Adam gave Shiro an encouraging smile as he tried to avoid spilling Pidge’s container, which he managed to get ahold of, and Shiro smiled back. He gave Lance a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he passed him and walked down the hall towards Keith’s room.

The door was open slightly, but Shiro still knocked twice before going inside. Keith was standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed and expression guarded. 

“Lance is worrying about nothing. I’m fine, Shiro,” Keith said, not meeting his gaze. Shiro came to join him in the middle of his room. He looked around. It was almost as bare as it was when Keith first moved into this apartment. Shiro saw the dark red blanket that he’d bought for Keith his first week here, tucked neatly into his bed. He saw Krolia’s knife on Keith’s desk, next to Shiro’s old desk lamp. He saw Keith’s red bandana tied to his bed post, and his black hoodie folded on the top of his dresser. When Shiro had first bought this two-bedroom apartment he expected to have the spare bedroom for guests. A part small part of him had hoped that it could be for his mom, if she ever decided to come back. He never would’ve guessed that a moody teenager would live here full-time. Not only that, but that this teenager would eventually take his entire apartment. Keith gave him a suspicious look. “Why are you smiling like that?” Shiro put a hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“Seems like you’re going to miss me,” Shiro teased, and Keith rolled his eyes, uncrossing his arms. 

“You’re still going to harass me at school every day, and come to Altea Drive whenever I race,” Keith pointed out. “You’re practically a stalker.” Shiro laughed.

“I’d like to say I’m the champion’s biggest fan. Adam and I have talked about making a Blade fan club. Hunk offered to help us make posters.” Keith groaned, stepping away from Shiro to sit on his bed. He gave Shiro a withering look.

“Please don’t.” Shiro grinned, sitting down on the bed next to Keith. Then he waited for Keith to say what was really on his mind. He knew Keith well enough at this point to give him enough time and patience. He’d open up eventually. Shiro was beginning to understand that what Keith really wanted was someone to open up to, even though he denied it. Keith sighed, clasping his hands in his lap. “This is going to sound crazy, but,” Keith paused, frowning slightly. “I know I’ve spent time with her the past couple months at the hospital, but now that’s she’s actually being released, now that her life really gets to start again - what if she doesn’t like me?” Shiro tried not to let his surprise show. 

“How could she not like you, Keith? You’re her son.” Keith only frowned further. 

“Sometimes that doesn’t matter, sometimes that isn’t enough,” Keith said, and Shiro frowned as well. Keith was worried that what happened to Shiro and his mom would happen to him and Krolia. “I’ve gotten so used to having a family that I found - you, the Hans, Allura, even them,” Keith continued, nodding towards his door. Shiro could hear muffled conversation from the kitchen. 

“You found your mother,” Shiro pointed out. Keith sighed. 

“But what if I can’t get her to stay? What if I’m not enough for her? She disappeared years ago -”

“Keith,” Shiro said, and Keith stopped, something simmering in his eyes. “Then that would be her loss. But I know that she loves you, more than anything. I was there when she talked about you, remember? When she gave up Altea Drive because she wanted to be with you?”

“I know, Shiro, it’s just - for so long all I wanted was to find out what happened, to get justice, closure - I didn’t plan for this part.” Shiro smiled, wrapping an arm around Keith’s shoulders.

“Sometimes it’s what you don’t plan for that ends up being the best thing in your life,” Shiro said, and Keith looked up at him in surprise, then in understanding. He looked away, his bangs hiding most of his expression, but Shiro could see pieces of a smile.

“Thanks, Shiro.” Shiro stood up, stretching his back.

“I have to put my counseling skills to use every once in a while,” he said, and Keith rolled his eyes, the hint of a smile on his lips as he moved to stand as well. “Also, I noticed that Lance was in your room while I was out. I thought we had a rule about that?” Keith’s cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

“Lance and I aren’t - I don’t -” Keith stumbled out. Then he crossed his arms. “You can’t tell me what to do anymore, anyway. Now that you’re moving out.”

“Oh don’t worry, Keith, I’ve already sent Mrs. Han a list of apartment rules. She’s going to give me weekly reports.” Shiro walked to Keith’s door, opening it. Then he turned to give Keith a devilish grin. “You’re never getting rid of me.” Keith rolled his eyes again, walking past Shiro and into the hall. Then Keith stopped, his back still facing Shiro.

“I hope so,” Keith said quietly, so quiet that Shiro wondered if he’d even said it at all, and then Keith continued down the hall to join the others in the kitchen. Shiro smiled to himself, looking at Keith’s room once last time before closing the door.

 

 

“Seems like your conversation with Keith went well,” Adam said quietly as they stepped into Shiro’s office. Hunk, Lance, Keith and Pidge were in the kitchen, setting things up. Allura and Coran were supposed to be arriving to help out soon, too. Shiro just needed to find something first. 

“Yeah, he’d probably be horrified if I told him this, but I think he’s turning into me,” Shiro said with a smile, turning on his desk lamp. Then he felt two arms wrap around his torso from behind.

“There are worse things,” Adam said, pressing a kiss to the back of Shiro’s neck. Shiro grinned and turned his face to smile at Adam.

“When you offered to help me I should’ve known that you had other intentions -” Shiro was cut off, Adam pressing his lips against Shiro’s, tightening his arms around him. Then Shiro felt Adam’s smile against his lips and Adam pulled away, a devilish glint in his eye.

“What can I say? Pilot’s a scoundrel,” Adam teased. Shiro laughed, placing his hands on Adam’s and pulling gently out of his embrace so he could face him. 

“And Adam wears math-related sweater vests,” Shiro couldn’t help but point out. He turned back around to continue looking at his desk.

“I don’t think those two things are mutually exclusive,” Adam reasoned, and Shiro laughed again, shaking his head slightly. 

“Remind me why I’m moving in with you again?” Shiro asked, and he looked over to see the smile on Adam’s face as he leaned against Shiro’s desk.

“Because you love me,” Adam said. Shiro glanced back at the desk, and he found himself smiling too.

“Yeah, that’s it.” Then Shiro’s eyes fell on what he was looking for. He grabbed his key, half-hidden under some files, and unlocked his drawer. First he saw the newspaper clipping, the one that Keith found what felt like a forever ago. He bent down to grab an empty shoebox on the floor. He was about to place the picture inside, but then he hesitated.

“You’re going to keep that?” Adam asked. Shiro looked at Adam, and then back at the picture in his hand. 

 

_**TOP STREET RACER DISAPPEARS ALONG WITH CAR** _

 

It was a bad memory. It was a trauma. So why did Shiro feel like he couldn’t let go of it for so long? Why had he kept it in this drawer? 

Because it was a reminder - a reminder to be afraid of the world, of himself, a reminder that every bad thing that happened to him was his own fault.

But that wasn’t true. He understood that now. He set his shoebox on his desk, holding the picture in both hands.

“No, I’m not,” Shiro said, and he tore the picture in two, dropping the pieces in the wastepaper basket under his desk. He let out a breath, feeling a weight off his shoulders. Then he felt Adam wind an arm around his waist, pressing against his side.

“That was a big deal,” Adam said. Shiro let out a tired laugh. 

“Yeah, it kind of was.” Then he looked back down at his open drawer, pulling the rest of its contents out. There was his college diploma - although seeing the words ‘Galra University’ left a bitter taste in his mouth. There was his certification to be a counselor. There were old pictures - one of him graduating high school, one of him as a toddler on a tricycle, one of him and his -

“Your parents,” Adam said quietly. Shiro nodded his head. He was ten in the photo. They were outside somewhere, his mom and dad on either side of him. They had wide smiles on their faces. They looked so young. “Wait,” Adam said, leaning forward to get a better look at the photo. “Is that the Black Lion?” Shiro brought the picture closer to his face and saw the Mustang in the background. Shiro smiled.

“Yeah, when she was still my dad’s. She looks a lot different now, doesn’t she? Hard to recognize her,” Shiro said, hearing his own sadness in his voice as he looked at his family. They were a little hard to recognize, too. Adam leaned his head against Shiro’s shoulder.

“She’s different, but not hard to recognize. She’s just seen a few more races.” The corner of Shiro’s lips quirked up in a half-smile and he put the photo along with everything else in the drawer in his shoebox. Shiro knew that they should check in on Keith and the others, but he found it hard to move. The box was still in his hands, and Adam’s cheek was still pressed into his shoulder. It was a moment that was hard to get out of, hard to leave. 

“You know,” Adam said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not sure if I ever told you why I like the name Atlas.” Shiro rested his head on Adam’s, shaking it slightly. Adam adjusted his position, moving to hold Shiro with both arms, nuzzling his face in Shiro’s neck. “My brother used to tell me bed time stories when I was younger. My sister did too, but my brother was way better at them.” Shiro laughed, and he could feel Adam’s smile. “His favorite story - my favorite story - was the one he told about Atlas. He told me how Atlas was punished by the gods, and his punishment was to hold up the world.”

“I remember that story,” Shiro said softly, and Adam looked up at him, a glint in his eye.

“Oh, but you don’t know this version,” Adam said with a grin. “My brother was always into criminal justice, even as a kid, so he asked me - what if Atlas wasn’t guilty? What if it was all a misunderstanding? Maybe he was just trying to do what he thought was best, and lost himself along the way. He made one mistake, and was it really fair that he had to carry such a burden because of that one mistake?” Adam paused, his smile becoming more melancholy. “He said that, in order to make things fair, a boy was born. This boy way destined to find Atlas, and he was given powers so that he’d be strong enough to save him.” Adam let out a laugh, looking at Shiro with warmth. “The boy’s name was Adam.” Shiro raised a brow at that, and Adam gave him a playful pat on the chest, continuing. “I assumed that the way I’d save Atlas was that I’d carry the world in his place. I thought that’d be pretty cool. But my brother explained that I would save Atlas because my heart was strong. My power was that I’d be able to convince Atlas to let go of the weight of the world, a weight that shouldn’t have been his to begin with.” Adam paused, searching Shiros’ eyes. “And Atlas would discover that the world wouldn’t collapse if he wasn’t carrying it. He could just be allowed to live in it, with Adam.” Shiro wove his fingers through Adam’s, pressing his forehead against Adam’s shoulder. “This story was always important to me, especially after the accident.” Adam paused, swallowing. “The not-accident, I guess.” Shiro squeezed Adam’s hand and Adam squeezed back. “I was waiting to find my Atlas. It became an important name for me, and I just realized - I’ve found him.” Shiro lifted his head, meeting Adam’s gaze, seeing the soft smile on Adam’s lips. “I’m just sorry that, when it was my moment to help you back at the labs, I was really more of a burden.”

“No,” Shiro said firmly, furrowing his brow. “You did everything your brother told you you’d do, Adam. You showed me that there was a different way. It’s because of you that I was strong enough not to do it on my own.” Adam smiled, resting his forehead against Shiro’s.

“I really love you, Takashi.”

“I love you too, Adam.” Then they heard the doorbell ring and broke apart. They heard voices at the front door.

“That has to be Allura and Coran,” Adam said, fixing the collar of Shiros’ button-up. “Ready to get back out there?” Shiro pressed a kiss to Adam’s forehead.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

 

 

“These brownies smell delicious Hunk,” Allura said, setting a fruit basket on the kitchen counter next to the plate of brownies. Pidge grinned.

“Yeah they’re his special -”

“I didn’t put drugs in them!’ Hunk yelled, looking exasperated. Pidge snickered and gave him a playful nudge. Allura blinked at them both, looking at them in confusion. 

“Ah, that reminds me of this time in college -” Coran began. 

“I’m afraid Coran is about to give those four the wrong idea about college,” Allura said, moving to stand next to Shiro and Adam in the living room. They watched as Coran made dramatic hand gestures, telling this elaborate story as Pidge and Hunk listened with wide eyes. Pidge looked excited, Hunk looked horrified. Lance whispered something in Keith’s ear and Keith laughed, bumping his shoulder.

“Can you believe they’ll be seniors soon?” Adam said, shaking his head a little. 

“Except for Pidge,” Shiro corrected. 

“Actually,” Adam began, and Shiro and Allura looked at him in surprise. Adam adjusted his glasses. “Apparently she’s been taking online classes for fun, and with all of her credits she managed to convince the school to let her skip junior year.”

“Are we sure that is wise? She shouldn’t grow up so fast,” Allura said, furrowing her brow. Adam smiled.

“She’s already so far ahead of her peers. She needs a challenge. I think that’s part of the reason she worked so hard to convince me to start racing. She was bored.” Shiro nodded his head in understanding. Then he watched as Lance stuck two grapes up his nose and scared Pidge. Pidge smushed a brownie in Lance’s face in retaliation as Hunk tried to break them apart. Keith bit back his smile and Coran continued with his story, unfazed. 

“Besides, I don’t think that any of them will grow up too fast. We’ll make sure of it,” Shiro said, and Allura smiled, weaving his arm through one of Shiro’s own and patting his shoulder with her other hand.

“Because we know what it’s like,” Allura said quietly, and Adam nodded, a faraway look in his eyes. Then Adam seemed to remember something, and he looked back at Shiro.

“I meant to ask - how’s Lotor doing?” Shiro felt Allura’s arm stiffen and he let out a sigh.

“He’s doing okay. He’s finishing up his last credits online, so he’ll be able to get his diploma by the end of the semester. And he definitely doesn’t like me being his counselor, but I’m the only one who seems to have ever gotten through to him, so -” Shiro trailed off.

“It was very generous of the FBI to cover up his involvement in that mess, to give him a second chance,” Allura said, frowning slightly. “I think he’ll be okay, especially since he has you.”

“How long do you think he’ll be on house arrest?” Adam asked. Shiro worried at his lip. Iverson and Mrs. Han had left him in charge of that decision. 

“I guess whenever I feel like Lotor has made genuine progress, and when I’m confident that he’s no longer a danger to anyone.” Shiro sighed. “He has a lot to offer the world still. He just needs to believe that. He definitely regrets what he did, but he’s still having trouble accepting that his parents can’t control him anymore. He doesn’t know what to do with that information. He seems stuck.” Adam moved to hold Shiro’s hand, giving it a squeeze. Shiro smiled at him.

“I’m just glad that they locked up Honerva forever,” Allura said, something steady and simmering in her eyes. “She’s the one who hurt so many people.”

“I just wish that my brother got to see it,” Adam said quietly. 

“He’d be proud of you, Adam,” Shiro said. “This couldn’t have happened without your help.”

“And your brother would be happy knowing that you’re happy, Adam,” Allura said, leaning forward to look at him. Adam smiled at them both.

“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Then the door opened and everyone turned to see who was coming in, although they all had a good idea of who it would be.

“Looks like the party already started without us,” Dr. Han said with a smile, entering the front hall with Krolia at his side. She had a cane but she seemed to be walking fine. In fact, Krolia looked a lot better compared to when Shiro first saw her in the hospital, still in a coma. She looked less alive back then. Which made sense, given that for the last seven years she’d been in and out of a medically induced coma, serving as an unwilling subject to Honerva’s experiments. 

And yet she looked so full of life now. Dr. Han had explained to Shiro weeks ago how she’d been taking her rehabilitation very seriously, almost to the point of concern. Dr. Han didn’t want her to push herself too much, but she was always ready and willing to do the next thing to get her one step closer to leaving the hospital and finally reentering the normal world. After four months she finally did it. Today she was her first day home. Shiro watched as Keith walked up to her, an uncertain furrow to his brow as he looked her over, shifting his stance and crossing his arms. Lance watched, standing a respectful distance away and weaving his fingers together nervously. Everyone seemed to hold their breath. 

“Keith,” Krolia breathed, a smile spreading across her face. She took a step forward and away from Dr. Han, wrapping her son in a hug without hesitation. Shiro noticed Keith tense at the contact, but then he relaxed into it, hugging her back. Shiro watched Allura wipe a tear from her cheek, beaming, and then she caught Shiro’s glance. She bumped his shoulder with her own, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, but the smile was still there. 

“You made this happen, Takashi,” Adam said under his breath, leaning into Shiro. Shiro leaned back, pressing a kiss to Adam’s temple and watching as Keith held on to his mom - a family finally reunited. 

 

 

The party officially started, Hunk handing out brownies and other snacks he made while Pidge tried to convince everyone that some kind of drug was involved in the cooking process. Coran and Dr. Han were sitting at the kitchen table exchanging old stories. Allura and Mrs. Han - who showed up with Iverson not too long after her husband and Krolia had arrived - were laughing about something, wine glasses in hand. Adam seemed to be describing all of the math related sweater vests he owned to Iverson, who didn’t seem to be amused, but it was always hard to tell what he was thinking. Keith and Lance were talking on the couch with Krolia, Lance making big gestures as he told a story. Keith seemed to be leaning into Lance without realizing it, a small smile on his face as he listened and scratched behind Kosmo’s ears. Shiro noticed the knowing look on Krolia’s face as she watched the two boys. Then Krolia caught Shiro’s gaze and smiled at him. She said something to Keith and Lance, Lance nodding his head with a smile and Keith looking over at Shiro before nodding his head as well. Then Krolia slowly moved to stand, walking over to where Shiro was standing by the window. 

“It looks like you’re keeping an eye on everything,” Krolia said, a slight tease in her voice. Shiro chuckled, shaking his head slightly. 

“It’s just nice to watch, sometimes,” Shiro confessed. Krolia moved to Shiro’s side, and they both surveyed the room. “I don’t remember the last time there were so many people in this apartment,” Shiro said. “I’m not sure if there’s ever been this many people.”

“It’s nice,” Krolia said, a small smile on her lips, a Keith smile. “You have a great group of people surrounding you.” Shiro nodded his head.

“I’m not sure what I did to deserve it,” Shiro said honestly. “I got really lucky.”

“No,” Krolia said. Shiro looked at her in surprise, and Krolia met his gaze. “You’re the type of person that people want to be around. I can tell from the way Keith talks about you.” Krolia frowned slightly, looking away. “I can tell that the last seven years have been hard on him. He withdrew from the world. The people who fostered him made him hard. The fact that my husband and I never came back, that we left him, that I wasn’t strong enough to find him -” Shiro noticed the flash of anger in her eyes, the pain, and he put a hand on her shoulder. 

“I know you did everything you could. Keith knows that too. He doesn’t blame you for any of it. He just wanted you back.” Krolia gave him a flicker of a smile, pushing a short lock of hair behind her ear. 

“I didn’t come over here for you to feel sorry for me,” Krolia said. “You’ve already done so much for our family.” 

“Our family?” Krolia gave him a real smile then, nudging his shoulder.

“Keith told me everything that you’ve done for him. Lance was just telling me the whole plan you two came up with to save me, along with how great of a guidance counselor you are, how he looks up to you -” Shiro looked over at Lance, who was now telling Keith a story with wild hand gestures, Keith trying and failing to hide his smile. “This is your family, Shiro. And I’m so honored to be a part of it. That’s what I came here to tell you. And I wanted to thank you as well, for taking care of Keith. Just because you’ve very generously given us this apartment doesn’t mean that you will ever leave our lives.” Shiro was at a loss for words. It was true - Shiro had decided that it would be best for Krolia and Keith to live in this apartment so Dr. Han could easily check in on Krolia’s rehabilitation. And Mrs. Han had already told Keith that she’d be coming over every day to bring food and to make sure he’s staying out of trouble. Now that they all knew Mrs. Han was part of the FBI it was a warning that Keith took very seriously. And Adam had offered for Shiro to move in with him, something that made Shiro’s chest flutter - something that Shiro had easily accepted. Most of his stuff was already moved in - today he packed up the last box.

“That - that means a lot, Krolia,” Shiro said, feeling a burn in his throat as he weaved his fingers together, fake and real. This is what love was. It was staying, at least as long as you could. It was reaching out, and having the courage to reach back. There was no better feeling. Shiro looked around the room once more. Even though this apartment wouldn’t be his home anymore, even though he was taking a step forward, he found himself smiling. Because it was the people in this room who were home, and that would never change. 

 

 

When Shiro got out of the El Camino he saw an old minivan parked in the middle of Altea Drive, its trunk opened and lined with small white lights. 

“I’ve never seen that car before,” Adam mused, closing the driver’s side door and coming to stand next to Shiro, hands on his hips. He was wearing his forest green aviator jacket, his goggles resting on his forehead and his leather cap covering his brown curls. Shiro was wearing his black bomber jacket, his helmet on his head but the visor turned up. 

“Looks like someone is crashing our after-party, Keith,” Pidge said, jabbing Keith in the ribs. She had her green bandana around her neck, while Keith had his red one. “You’re the champion, so you have to kick them out.” Keith shoved his hands in the front pocket of his black hoodie, frowning as he looked at the minivan. Lance closed the door to Keith’s car, sneaking up behind the two of them and throwing his arms over Keith and Pidge’s shoulders. He rested his chin on Keith’s other shoulder, his blue bandana making his eyes stand out even more in the darkness. 

“I think you should threaten them with your knife,” Lance offered, and Keith’s eyes flashed in amusement. 

“Let’s not be too hasty guys,” Hunk said, getting out of his own car and coming to join them. It was a nice dark gold color, a Jeep Liberty. It wasn’t meant for driving, it was actually a birthday gift - it used to be his dad’s. Shiro watched as Allura hopped out of the Jeep, Allura’s eyes lighting up in excitement when she saw the minivan. She was wearing her flight suit, her helmet tucked under her arm.

“Romelle!” Allura said, hurrying over to the minivan. A face popped out from the trunk and out came a woman Allura’s age. She had long blond hair that was pulled back into two loose ponytails and she was wearing a simple pink blouse with high-rise jeans. She opened her arms enthusiastically, pulling Allura in for a tight hug and spinning her. Then she looked over her shoulder at everyone else, probably noticing their confused looks.

“You didn’t tell them I was coming, did you?” Romelle asked, and Allura pulled away, tucking a loose strand of hair sheepishly behind her ear.

“I wanted it to be a surprise?” Allura offered, and Romelle gave her an unconvinced look. Allura slumped her shoulders, exhaling. “I was nervous.” Shiro caught Adam’s gaze and looked back at him, Adam giving him a raised brow. Shiro shrugged his shoulders. He’d met Romelle about two months ago. He didn’t understand why Allura would be so nervous to introduce her former roommate to everyone else. Unless…?

“Guys, this is Romelle, my girlfriend,” Allura said, turning to face the rest of the group and daring them to make any jokes. Shiro gave Romelle a short wave and she waved back, her eyes lighting up as she wound a hand around Allura’s waist, causing Allura to blush. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Romelle, I’m Hunk!” Hunk said, walking up to her and holding out his hand. Romelle took it excitedly, shaking it.

“I’ve heard you’re quite the baker!” Romelle said. Hunk rubbed his neck bashfully.

“I actually have some snacks in the back of my car that I brought,” Hunk said. Romelle made an excited noise and Hunk grinned, going over to his car. Pidge approached her next, looking at her skeptically. Then she looked at the minivan.

“Is this your car?” Now it was Romelle’s turn to blush.

“Yes, it’s not as cool as the ones that you guys have, but I thought that if I put up some lights and brought some blankets it would make it a little more interesting,” Romelle confessed. “It’s good for stargazing!” Allura nodded her head, leaning into Romelle. Pidge continued to look at her for a moment, and then back at the car, and then she rummaged through her pocket, holding out a small card.

“Here’s my number. Let me know if you ever want any upgrades,” Pidge said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “I like the lights.” Romelle accepted the card, giving her a polite yet slightly bewildered smile. Lance was already approaching them, holding out his arms.

“Anyone that Allura cares about is someone I care about,” Lance declared, and he pulled her in for a hug. Allura rolled her eyes, but she had a fond smile on her lips all the same. 

“Thank you, Lance,” Allura said, and Lance gave her a wink before stepping back to get Pidge in a headlock that she tried to fight her way out of. 

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Adam said, giving Lance a gentle nudge in the ribs so he’d let go of Pidge while he made his way to Romelle. They shook hands, Romelle beaming at this point. “I’m Adam. I think we briefly met once already.” Romelle laughed and the blush returned to Allura’s cheeks.

“Yeah, I was trying to sneak out of Alfor’s after, um, hanging out with Allura in her office,” Romelle explained. “Was it obvious?” Adam smiled.

“I can be pretty oblivious, but I’m not that oblivious,” Adam said. Allura gave him an unamused look and he laughed, looking over his shoulder at Shiro. Shiro smiled at him. Then Shiro looked at Keith, who was standing next to Shiro at this point, arms across his chest and scuffing the pavement with his shoe. 

“She’s really nice, you know,” Shiro said. Keith frowned.

“She’s new,” Keith mumbled. 

“New can be good,” Shiro offered. Keith kept frowning for a moment, and then he sighed, looking at Shiro. He uncrossed his arms. 

“You’re right.” With that he came up to Romelle, stiffly holding out his hand. Romelle’s eyes widened in slight surprise, accepting his hand.

“They call me Blade here,” Keith said, and everybody watched as the two of them shook hands. Then Lance and Pidge started laughing, Keith’s cheeks heating up. Allura smiled behind her hand.

“Was that you trying to sound cool?” Lance asked, grinning. Keith shot him a glare, but there wasn’t any real anger behind it. 

“Because that so wasn’t cool,” Pidge said, doubled over in laughter.

“Do I have to threaten you two with my knife?” Keith asked, reaching behind his back. Lance and Pidge quickly put their hands up in surrender, but Shiro could see the edge of a smile on Keith’s lips, even as he continued to glare at them. Shiro reached in his pocket, feeling the familiar shape of his keys. It was in that moment that he knew - Keith was ready.

 

 

“So are we still going to go on college tours or have recent events permanently scarred us?” Hunk asked from where he was sitting in the open trunk of the minivan, legs swinging off the edge as he looked up at the stars. Lance groaned, flinging an arm across his eyes from where he was laying on a blanket on the ground, Keith lying next to him.

“I don’t even want to think about college applications right now,” Lance said woefully. “Mami is already telling me to find a job for the summer to help pay for tuition.” Pidge nodded her head from where she was sitting next to Hunk, texting someone on her phone. A moment later she set down the phone, furrowing her brow and letting out a sigh. 

“My parents thought they’d have another year to save up. They’re excited about me being able to graduate with you guys, but,” Pidge said, trailing off and shrugging her shoulders. Hunk gave her a sympathetic look. 

“You know if you four ever need help you can ask me,” Allura said, sitting next to Romelle in the trunk, Romelle leaning into her and dozing off. Shiro was amazed by how many people they got to fit inside there. “Especially if you’re all still interested in Altea Tech.” Lance pushed himself onto his elbows, brightening up and looking at Adam where he was sitting on a different blanket on the ground next to Shiro. 

“That’s right! There are those scholarships too, right Adam?” Adam nodded, straightening out his goggles on his forehead. 

“If you all continue to work hard I have no doubt that you can get them,” Adam said with a smile. Shiro smiled too, remembering when Adam first told Shiro about the scholarships. He’d known that Adam was Pilot at that point. He was so close to confessing, to kissing Adam right there. He remembered how certain Adam was about everything, how much faith Adam had in these kids. It was inspiring. Then Shiro remembered another detail and his heart sunk. He looked at Adam and Adam met his gaze with confusion. Then he seemed to realize what Shiro was thinking. 

“I know that this complicates things,” Allura said, looking at her hands in her lap. She must’ve come to the same conclusion. “But I must remind you all that there are only three scholarships available.” Lance, Hunk, and Pidge looked at each other in surprise. Keith held his knife in his hands with a guarded expression, watching the blade catch the moonlight. Pidge bit her lip, looking away from them all.

“This is my fault,” Pidge said with a bitter smile, adjusting her glasses. “I didn’t think about that when they told me I could go straight into senior year.” 

“Hey,” Hunk said softly, bumping her shoulder. Pidge met his gaze. “Don’t worry about it. Everything will work out.” 

“Keith? You’ve been quiet,” Lance said, looking down at where Keith was lying on the blanket, looking up at the stars. His gaze was far away, pensive. But calm. 

“I’m not going to Altea Tech,” Keith said, and everyone looked at him with wide eyes, although Lance’s were by far the widest. Lance quickly sat up on the blanket.

“What are you talking about? You’ve been wanting to go just as much as we have!” 

“Yeah, if this is because of me I don’t want you to -” Pidge began, looking surprised. 

“No, Pidge,” Keith stopped her, a small smile on his lips. He moved to sit up, looking down at his knife. “I wanted to go to Altea Tech to be closer to my parents,” Keith explained. He looked at Shiro. “But now I found my mom. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t think I actually would.” Keith exhaled. “And visiting my mom in the hospital these past few months, thinking about - about a lot of things,” Keith looked away from them all. “I realized that I’ve never really thought about what I wanted for myself, about who I am. Everything was about the mission. Even my love for the stars,” Keith said, looking up at the sky. “Was really me missing my parents. It was me wanting to be close to them.” Keith paused, finally meeting their gazes once more. “I’m going to Galra U.” Everyone was quiet for a long moment.

“What the -” Pidge began, but then Lance stood up, looking at Keith in total disbelief. 

“Galra U?” Lance practially screeched. Romelle woke up with a start, looking around in confusion. Allura put a comforting hand on her arm, looking at the scene in bewilderment. “The place that _kidnapped_ your _mother_? Why?” 

“Did you know that Kolivan has a PhD in physics and in criminology?” Keith asked, looking up at Lance. “He’s decided to go back to Galra U to restart the Criminal Justice program,” Keith explained. “It’s what I’m good at. It’s what I want to do,” Keith continued, his tone firm. He looked at Adam. “If it wasn’t for Adam’s brother, for Iverson and Mrs. Han - who knows what would’ve happened to us? I probably never would’ve gotten my mom back.” Keith paused, his gaze far away again. “I know who I am now. Or, at least, the person that I want to be.” Shiro smiled, a feeling of pride rising in his chest. Lance was quiet. He moved to sit back down, stubbornly not looking at Keith.

“So we’re not going to go to the same college,” Lance said quietly. Pidge and Hunk looked sad too. Keith gave them all a soft smile, bumping Lance’s knee with his own. 

“I’m going to visit you guys all the time. Galra U is really close. And besides, we have Altea Drive. I can’t be a champion without my crew.” There was a teasing flash in Keith’s eyes, and Lance finally met his gaze, biting back a smile. 

“Just you wait, Blade, I’m going to be the next champion one of these days. I bet Blue will drive circles around your car once I give her some upgrades.” That was when Shiro decided to search his pocket, pulling out his set of keys. Now was as good a time as any. 

“I’m not so sure if you can say the same about the Black Lion, Lance,” Shiro said, tossing the keys to Keith. Keith managed to catch them, looking at Shiro in surprise, and then down at the Mustang keys. 

“Are you -?” Keith began to ask, and Shiro grinned, nodding his head. 

“The Black Lion is yours now,” Shiro said. “She deserves a champion.” Keith continued to look at the keys in disbelief, and then he looked up at Shiro, grinning. 

“I’ll take care of her,” Keith promised, and Shiro nodded his head once, still smiling. 

“You better,” he replied. Lance leaned into Keith, looking at the keys as well. Then something flashed in Lance’s eyes.

“Can I have Red?” Lance asked, holding onto Keith’s arm. Keith opened his mouth to argue but Lance kept going. “You don’t want to leave Red neglected while you drive off with the Black Lion do you? I’ll keep her company!” Keith scoffed, rolling his eyes. Then he seemed to consider it. 

“You can have her on the weekends,” Keith compromised, and Lance let out a whoop of victory. Allura leaned forward from where she was perched in the trunk, looking at Lance in excitement.

“Can I have Blue then?” Allura asked. Lance shot her a glare, looking like he was about to say no out of reflex, but then he gave her a long look. He nodded his head slowly.

“You can have her on the weekends, as long as you don’t give her any weird upgrades without my permission,” Lance decided, crossing his arms. “She’s a perfect lady the way she is.” Allura laughed and Romelle hugged Allura in excitement, squishing their cheeks together. 

“Well nobody’s taking my car. I would be so grounded if my dad found out,” Hunk said, and everyone laughed.

“What about you, Pidge? You’ll be sixteen before you know it - have you thought about a car?” Adam asked. Pidge had a mischievous glint in her eye as she set her phone down, leaning back on her palm

“It’s funny that you mention that,” Pidge said, and a moment later they all heard a car horn. Shiro could make out headlights and soon a green Mini Cooper came to a stop next to the minivan. 

“I think I could guess who this is,” Shiro said, a smile on his lips. A second later a guy in his early twenties with messy copper hair came out of the car, a huge grin on his face and two packs of what looked like beers in his arms. Shiro’s smile quickly fell.

“Hey guys!” Matt called out, jogging over to them. Shiro could hear the cans hitting each other and winced. “Sorry for crashing your party but I kept pestering Pidge to let me meet her new friends!” 

“Meet my brother Matt, everybody,” Pidge said. “Matt and I made a deal not too long ago that I’d get his car once he graduates,” she added, looking pleased with herself. Matt slumped his shoulders.

“More like you blackmailed me when you caught me sneaking out past curfew,” Matt mumbled. Romelle giggled behind her hand. 

“Matt,” Shiro said, a slight warning in his voice. Matt looked older now that he wasn’t a high schooler anymore, maybe even more mature, but Shiro was well aware of the trouble he’d been known to get into. Shiro was Matt’s senior year guidance counselor after all. “You’re not planning on giving minors alcohol, right?” Matt scoffed, setting the cases down on the pavement and sitting on the free blanket space with Keith and Lance. 

“Shiro you wound me,” Matt said, placing a hand on his chest. “One is soda for the kids, and one is alcohol for the adults,” Matt explained. Pidge stuck her tongue out at her brother and he just grinned. 

“I am okay with that,” Allura said, holding out her hand. Matt beamed and handed over two cans. Allura gave one to Romelle and they tapped their cans together. 

“It’s like we’re back in college,” Romelle mused, and Allura laughed. Then Allura noticed Shiro watching her and she opened the can. “After what you two put me through I think I deserve this,” Allura explained. Shiro and Adam looked at each other, and then they smiled.

“You’ve got a point there, Allura,” Adam said. Matt continued to hand drinks out. Lance tried to snag a beer but Matt swatted his hand just in time. 

“Don’t think I don’t have my eye on you, Lance,” Matt said sternly, and Lance looked at him in surprise. Then Matt got Lance into a headlock and Lance laughed, trying to break free. Keith opened his soda and took a long sip, watching in amusement but doing nothing to help. “Now I want to hear what the heck’s been going on the past few months,” Matt said, letting go of Lance and throwing an arm around his shoulders. “First Pidge tells me to make some kind of antidote for a drug I’ve never seen before,” Matt began. “Then the FBI ends up contacting me.” Allura winced at that. “Then I hear that the president of my college has been an insane criminal this whole time, one of our seniors was helping her experiment on students, and my former guidance counselor pulled off some kind of secret spy mission to take them both down.” Matt shook his head in disbelief. “I’m just glad that the school is under new management because if I had to transfer in the middle of working on my thesis I would’ve lost my mind.”

“He really would’ve,” Pidge said, nodding in agreement. Matt made a face at her before looking at everyone once again. “So what happened?” Romelle took a sip of her beer, looking at the rest of them in curiosity as well. They all looked at each other, not knowing where to start. 

“It all started when Keith pulled a knife on me,” Lance finally explained, and Keith let out a noise of protest.

“I never pulled my knife on you!” 

“Why do you keep denying the truth?” Lance argued. 

“I just wanted to see Adam’s car!” Keith shot back, looking exasperated. 

“It really all started when Lance saw Keith, or _Blade_ , from across Altea Drive and immediately started making heart eyes,” Pidge clarified. Lance’s eyes blew wide.

“Pidge!” Lance protested. Shiro noticed Keith’s blush. Then he felt Adam’s hand slide into his own. 

“For me it all started on my first day working at the high school. When you came up to me and offered to give me a tour of the school,” Adam explained quietly while the argument continued. “Someone had already given me a tour, but I couldn’t say no to you. I knew I was a goner right away.” Shiro smiled, leaning into Adam’s space. Their noses were almost brushing. 

“It was that simple?” Shiro asked, his voice small. Adam brushed his nose against Shiro’s, smiling. 

“It was that simple,” he said. 

“Just admit that you secretly have a thing for knives!” Pidge exclaimed from where she was sitting in the trunk. Hunk was trying and failing to bite back his smile. Romelle and Allura were full-on laughing at this point. 

“I don’t have a _thing_ for knives! You’re gross!” Lance yelled back. “I just have a thing for _Keith_!” Pidge’s eyes blew wide and Lance quickly realized what he’d said, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. Keith looked at him in shock. Everyone was quiet. “I - I mean Keith was my rival! That thing was _dislike_!” Lance recovered, making big, exasperated hand movements. 

“You really didn’t like me?” Keith asked, his voice small and confused. Lance whirled his head to look at him. 

“ _No_! I mean, I didn’t _not_ like you, if anything I - uh, you know -” Lance tried to explain, a blush rising up his neck. Keith continued to look at him in confusion. Allura took a long swig of her beer, shaking her head tiredly. 

“I can’t do this again,” Shiro heard her mumble. Romelle gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, kissing her temple. 

“They’re really oblivious, huh?” Adam whispered, watching as Lance stumbled through his not-quite-confession to Keith as Keith continued to look bewildered. 

“Yeah, it’s kind of hard to watch,” Shiro whispered back, trying not to wince. Then he felt Adam’s gaze on him and turned to look him in the eyes. 

“We were just like that, weren’t we?” Adam asked. Shiro glanced over at Allura, who now had her head in her hands. Then he looked back at Adam.

“I think we owe Allura a bottle of wine.” Adam nodded his head, biting back his grin.

“The most expensive one we can find,” Adam agreed, and Shiro laughed, giving Adam a quick, easy kiss on the lips. 

The night sky hung above them, beautiful and dark and glowing with stars, and Shiro didn’t feel the weight of it at all. 

Shiro had a feeling that this was the kind of ending Adam’s brother wanted to give in his stories all along. An imperfect ending. A happy ending. An ending that didn’t promise for things to say the same, but for things to be different, for things to keep changing because as scary as change could be - it could also be so _so_ good. 

And Shiro couldn’t think of a better ending than that. 


End file.
